Optimarin gears up for retrofit wave with expansion and new hires
Member news | 22 May 2019
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Ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist
Optimarin is responding to a growing market and surge in demand by investing in
the organization and strengthening its management team. The company, which
expects to double its turnover this year, has employed Leiv Kallestad as new
CEO, allowing Tore Andersen, the incumbent, to spend his time enhancing market
focus and customer service. In order to handle the expected surge in retrofit
installations, expected to peak in 2022-23, Optimarin will now make plans for
additional expansion, with growth in the technical and sales departments.
Fulfilling potential
“It feels like the stars have
finally aligned,” comments Andersen. “We have focused exclusively on BWT for
the past 25 years, building a trusted, technologically proven and respected
position in this specialist niche. Optimarin was the first company to install a
commercial system, and the very first to gain USCG approval. Orders are now
coming in with increasing speed, which will contribute towards repaying all the
time and money the employees and shareholders have invested in the company over
the years.
“As such, we’ve taken the decision to
reconfigure the management team allowing me to focus on our growing customer
base and market development. Leiv takes over the overall responsibility for the
company and will ensure we’re positioned to achieve our full growth potential.
He is a fantastic guy with an excellent business track record, so I’ve got no
doubt he’ll thrive in this new role, with so much opportunity on the horizon.”
Building demand
Optimarin has now sold 750 of its
simple, flexible and market proven UV-based BWT systems, with more than 500
installed and operational. So far, around 300 of these have been retrofitted,
but this is a number Andersen expects to see multiplying in the years to
come.
“If we consider that, by this time last
year, only around 7% of the world fleet had been fitted with BWT systems, then
you can see the scale of the task ahead to ensure the IMO and USCG compliance
shipowners require,” Andersen states. “The expectation is that this will lead
to a huge increase in demand, and thereby influx of orders, which we believe
will really take off mid next year, before peaking in 2022-23.
“As a leading, stable and trusted
supplier we are well-positioned to take advantage of such an increase in
demand. That’s why we’re investing now to build an organisation with the
resources, people and network in place to provide optimal service, products and
satisfaction during the ‘boom times’ ahead. The next few years are going to be
very exciting.”
Outstanding performance
Kallestad joined the company as CEO this
month. He has an international career track record, with wide experience within
the marine, oil & gas, oil service, manufacturing and corporate finance
sectors. The Norwegian native has worked in executive positions for companies
such as TTS Group, Palfinger Marine/Harding, Roxar, Kverneland Group, TORP LNG,
Exxon Mobil, Conoco Phillips and SR-Bank Markets.
Andersen will now move across into the
role of Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing.
The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) has
certification from a comprehensive range of classification organizations,
including ABS, BV, DNV-GL, LR & MLIT Japan. Current customers include Royal
Caribbean International, Fednav, GulfMark, Hapag Lloyd, Matson Navigation,
McDermott, the Danish Navy, MOL, Seatruck, Technip, and the Royal Netherlands
Navy, amongst others.
