December 3rd, 2021
AkzoNobel’s International brand reported that it is celebrating its 140th anniversary.
To commemorate the company’s achievements, International released a legacy timeline covering new performance and sustainability standards in the global coatings industry. “At International, we take immense pride in our legacy of combining innovation with the highest of environmental standards,” said Jean-Michel Gauthier, Business Unit Director for Marine, Protective and Yacht Coatings.
“From the outset, [co-founders] Albert and Max [Holzapfel] were committed to developing products that raised the bar in terms of reliability and product performance. Today, we honour that great tradition, leading the way in developing sustainable solutions that will continue to protect the planet for generations to come.”
International History
According to the company, starting at a small shipyard on the River Tyne in the United Kingdom back in 1881, the Holzapfel brothers began their journey into the world of marine coatings. At the time, the brothers partnered with Charles Petrie and were mixing paints by hand.
After nearly a decade, in 1890, the company was named “International.” Some years later, the industry would witness a demand for marine coatings, pushing International to launch production overseas in Russia, with additional manufacturing facilities in nine countries including Sweden, Japan and the United States by 1914.
During this period, International built a landmark new factory in Felling, Gateshead, where the company remains today.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the brand continued to expand globally, responding to demand from the Asia Pacific region before AkzoNobel bought it in 1998. The marine, protective and yacht coatings company is currently reported to employ more than 2,000 people worldwide.
Its products reportedly are used on six continents, coating commercial, military and pleasure craft of all types while protecting large-scale steel structures on land and at sea.
In 2002, International was one of the first coatings suppliers to cease using TBTs (Tributyltin) six years before being banned. Four years later, it became the first marine coatings supplier to withdraw from the supply of coatings containing coal tar. In 2011, it was the first manufacturer in the heavy-duty coatings sector to phase out lead chromates.
Additionally, the company says its sustainable solutions are also working to help shipowners save fuel and reduce carbon emissions.
International’s 140-year history is displayed on its new website. Over the next few months, International plans to chart the history of the business and profile the colleagues who make the brand what it is today.
Recent Marine Coatings News
A few months ago, in June, AkzoNobel announced the launch of a new anti-fouling hull coating line called “Intersmooth.”
Both coatings, Intersmooth 7200Si SPC and Intersmooth 7476Si SPC, are a part of the company’s International brand. They are reported to feature self-polishing silyl methacrylate technology.
The Intersmooth 7200Si SPC coating uses resin technology coupled with a biocide package. It aims to provide cost-effective performance through its ability to reduce waste and VOC emissions, all while improving application efficiency.
According to the company, the coating has benefited from using higher solids. It has a guaranteed speed loss threshold of 2.5 percent. The formulation features an optimized biocide package that not only delivers a clean hull but helps operators contribute further to reach their environmental goals by reducing CO2 emissions.
It is designed to provide less sensitivity to time and temperature in its service period and a reduced risk of surface cracking versus silyl acrylate-based products.
Serving as a second self-polishing silyl methacrylate product, Intersmooth 7476Si SPC also made its way to AkzoNobel’s anti-fouling line. The coating aims to deliver consistent, reliable antifouling performance over the dry-docking cycle through its ability to deliver a more consistent polishing rate that enables custom-designed schemes for vessels based on their predicted routes—resulting in less interruption or delays in service.
At the beginning of the year, the company announced that it was set to increase its presence in the North American yacht coatings market by acquiring New Nautical Coatings.
Established in 1978, the company is the owner of the Sea Hawk brand and supplies antifouling coatings and several other products, such as primers and varnishes.
The company reports that the Sea Hawk brand has a high customer loyalty among yacht owners, shipyards and maintenance service providers due to its quality and product performance.
