“Sustainability is always a hot topic. So any new product that we’re innovating, we have to always have that in mind. Everything has got to be sort of driven from that angle because that’s what our customers are looking for now,” explains Tracy Warner, category manager for yachting at Jotun.
“The challenge is they don’t want to compromise on performance but at the same time they want a product that’s more sustainable.”
Discussing key business drivers and challenges in the marine industry, Warner says that within the coatings sector, the changing regulations presents new challenges.
“There’s always new regulations coming in, new raw materials that we’re no longer allowed to use, or this has got to change this or change that. We’ve got the new Industrial Emissions Directive coming in next year – so suddenly you’ve got to look at all your products again and see where you can make those adjustments because the shipyards are going to be pushing us for the solutions to enable them to meet those regulations,” says Warner.
The upcoming Industrial Emissions Directive will require a 40 per cent reduction in VOC (volatile organic compounds) by 2030, forcing the company to reassess their product formulations.
Despite other sections of the marine market tackling strong headwinds, Warner says Jotun’s yacht segment seems to bucking the trend in her experience: “We’re seeing really, really good growth in our business, in the yachting business. Obviously, Jotun is a much bigger operation. But if we’re just talking about yachting, we seem to be growing and the outlook is [it’s] not slowing down, and that the new build market is still huge.” And that’s across all products, she says, including antifouling, fillers, top coats.
The company’s strategy for its yachting business is to be a one-stop shop for builders and provide a full complement of solutions.
“Especially for a new-build yacht [builder], they want to buy from one supplier, rather than buying from multiple suppliers. So that’s what we try and offer. So we’re not just selling antifouling or a top coat – we try and sell a whole solution.”
Trade at Metstrade was busy, Warner says, with Jotun exhibiting in the new Construction Materials Zone, located in Hall 11.
“We really, really enjoy being in the construction pavilion,” she adds. “It makes more sense for us than being in the big hall. We’re next to more of our stakeholders – they’re all much closer now, so it’s just a lot easier to collaborate and discuss.”
Last held in 2014, the Superyacht Coating Conference made its return to Metstrade in 2025. Taking place during the show on 18-19 November, the conference brought together leaders in superyacht coatings, technical experts, and key decision-makers.
“The Coatings Conference was good – we definitely need to do it again. It’s been different having the Superyacht Forum, the Coatings Conference and Metstrade [at the same time] – trying to spread yourself across all three is a bit of a challenge. It would have been probably nicer to have the Coatings Conference at a different time because it’s been quite hard to fit it all in. But we love our new position here.”
Warner explained that Jotun serves various stakeholders, including direct buying customers like yacht owners and aggregators, as well as non-buying influencers such as surveyors and management companies. Their dealer network is also an important part of their business ecosystem.
New RV-based tech enters marine
Germany-headquartered Vöhringer – primarily known as a top supplier of lightweight panels and furniture components for the caravan and motorhome industry –is taking its expertise from the RV market to marine. Dennis Weiss, sales manager at the company (pictured below), says the crossover and potential for diversification into the marine segment was clear.
“In the RV industry the main issue we contend with is weight because we have the limits of 3.5 tons – so we can bring a lot of technology from, for example, furniture and our lamination, and transfer it [to the marine market],” he says.
This is not wholly new territory for Vöhringer, which previously had a presence in the yachting industry before solely focusing on the RV and caravan market.
“Over the last three years, we decided we wanted to enter the yaching industry again,” explains Weiss. “And now we developed sandwich boards with a new machine, which we think we can help our yachting industry significantly and bring lightweight properties to the yachting industry.”
Vohringer manufactures everything in-house near Stuttgart, Germany – a factor that is helping weather the current industry slowdown. And Weiss says not overreaching keeps the firm secure.
“Headwinds wise, we have the same in the RV industry. The stock is quite full with vehicles and so we know how to deal with it. We are a family based company so we don’t look for skyscrapers – we want to grow naturally and and that works for us – we have been doing it for more than 100 years.”
Shows still a key driver
Giogos Kalesidis from Vemar Yacht Coatings, Greece, says events such as Metstrade provide a good boost to its coatings business and networking face-to-face is pivotal in the company’s expansion strategy.
“This year, we established partnerships in the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Spain, Albania, Italy, Cyprus, among others. And our expansion will continue,” says Kalesidis.
Vemar was showcasing two of its latest developments at Metstrade 2025; Fiberglass Polyester Filler, a solution for high-strength repairs, and Regal Gloss, a premium high-gloss clearcoat designed for woodcare applications.
Kalesidis welcomes more focus and conferences around the coatings end of the market, saying that the more discussions and stakeholder presence the better.
“In 2026, we expect to increase our dealers, to have more clients, more happy clients, and to export in more countries around Europe and worldwide.”
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