Joop Ellenboek and ICOMIA join forces

In a world-first for the yacht coating industry, Joop Ellenbroek has today announced an exclusive strategic alliance with the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) to deliver environmental and quality control consultancy services for the superyacht industry.

The alliance will jointly provide consultancy services to the shipyards, superyacht paint contractors and other organisations in the superyacht and recreational marine industries as they strive to meet the imminent new EU environmental legislation related to coatings, air and water.

ICOMIA, who has been representing the global marine industry for almost half a century, will monitor evolving regulations and provide specialist advice to Joop Ellenbroek in relation to the European Economic Community and other international bodies, such as ISO and IMO.

Through its services and innovative solutions for coating quality control, inspections, assessments and application procedures for the superyacht industry, Joop Ellenbroek can then ensure that industry players of all sizes practically benefit from knowledge of the most up-to-date legislation, regulations and standards.

“As the formulation of a paint changes, it can mean that a perfect finish can no longer be achieved. Therefore if the EU imposes a ban on certain raw materials and paint application methods, this can pose a threat to shipyards, yacht paint production companies and paint application companies,” said Joop Ellenbroek.

The joint venture means that for the first time, ICOMIA and Joop Ellenbroek can be brought in to advise superyacht companies how to deal with this new situation – ICOMIA being acutely aware of the changes that are coming into effect and Joop Ellenbroek advising on practical measures.

“This alliance represents a turning point for the superyacht industry. Increasingly, the industry has been demanding better quality control and assessment of yacht coatings as well as sustainable coating practices. Both myself and ICOMIA have these interests at our core,” Mr Ellenbroek said.

ICOMIA’s Environment Consultant, Albert Willemsen, said this is exactly the kind of partnership the industry needs to ensure they are meeting the ever-more exacting international standards and regulations.

“Environmental sustainability and quality control is quickly becoming mission critical; superyacht organisations across the world are recognising the very real impact that regulatory changes can have on their business and their product,” Mr Willemsen said.

“ICOMIA’s knowledge and global footprint coupled with Mr Ellenbroek’s best-in-breed coating expertise is a powerful synergy. It means superyacht organisations will have access the most-up-to date information and a means to apply this knowledge for the first time.”

“This is a huge vote of confidence for our company. We use the most advanced technology and up-to-date knowledge to inspect and verify the coating application processes. This alliance is an essential part of our core strategy to ensure companies have the best quality coatings in accordance with international standards and criteria,” Mr Ellenbroek said.