International Marine
and Offshore Coatings
Conference
BY KERRY PIANOFORTE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The National Paint and Coatings Association
(NPCA) hosted its annual International Marine and
Offshore Coatings Conference June 16-18 at the
Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel in Virginia Beach, VA. This
year’s conference attracted attendees involved in the
marine and offshore coatings market and featured a variety of presentations dealing with all aspects of marine and
offshore coatings, including regulatory and legal issues, as
well as the latest technological advancements.
Derick Hayman, NPCA Marine Coatings committee
chairman gave the opening remarks for the conference.
“Our industry is facing a number of challenges,” said
Hayman. “We have fuel costs rocketing up, we have regulatory issues and our customers are having trouble finding
places to dry dock their ships. Our speakers will touch on a
number of these issues.”
Hayman introduced Cynthia Brown, president of the
American Shipbuilding Association, who began the three
days of presentation with her keynote address, “The U.S.
Shipbuilding Industry Today and Tomorrow: The View from
Washington DC.”
Brown began her presentation with the current status of
the U.S. Naval fleet and where it is going in the future. “In
2001 the U.S. Navy numbered 341 battle force ships,” said
Brown. “Today it numbers 220. The Navel shipbuilding
budget for this year is $12.4 billion. Since 2001, the
Department of Defense top line budget has increased
20.8%. The shipbuilding budget has increased 12.2% since
2001. Even though we have great plans, the budgets are not
keeping pace with these conservative plans. We as an
industry are urging the appropriators to support the construction of seven ships.
“The year is not going to be a plus year for shipbuilding,”
Brown continued. “As an industry we support the Navy’s
shipbuilding budget and would like to see the government
adding money to the budget, not just reshuffling money.”
Brown stressed the need for the U.S. to keep pace with
other powerful nations in terms of naval shipbuilding. “By
2015 China’s Navy will outnumber the U.S. Navy,” said
Brown. “Russia has reemerged as a naval power. It will be
the second largest naval power in the next decade. We are
working on a number of things on a legislative front.”
Other key issues that the American Shipbuilding
Association are dealing with are U.S. dependence on foreign-built ships, working with government to limit the
time of foreign-built ship leases and new building opportunities for commercial ships.
“How can we turn the tide on naval ship building and
commercial ship building,” said Brown. “During an election year, it is important that both candidates recognize
the need for shipbuilding. We are reaching out to members of Congress to ask the Democrat and Republican
candidates to embrace this platform. The next president
elected needs to recognize the importance of strengthening our sea service and supporting the industrial base.”
Mark Ingle, senior materials engineer, Naval Sea
Systems Command, Engineering Directorate presented
“Naval Sea Systems Command Antifouling Program.”
Ingle summarized the primary goals of the NAVSEA
advanced antifouling coatings program. “One of the
prime goals is lowering operating costs,” said Ingle. One
of the ways to achieve this goal is through the Navy’s
advanced antifouling coatings program. He went on to
outline the universal requirements for coating Naval
ships and how paint manufacturers can conform to these
requirements for corrosion control.
Attendess of NPCA’s International Marine and Offshore
Coatings Conference had the opportunity to hear presentations
from a variety of industry experts.
