A group of NBCC members visited the Jotun paint and coatings factory in Itaborai, Rio de Janeiro on October 10, 2017.
Norwegian paint and coatings producer Jotun has been present in Brazil since 1998, but the production facility is only two years old, as it was inaugurated by Norway´s Crown Prince Haakon in 2015.
The group from NBCC was received by Managing Director Marianne Terland Nilsen, and breakfast with a taste of Norway, was served before Terland Nilsen gave an institutional presentation of the company.
Managing Director Marianne Terland Nilsen.
The Itaborai factory today employs 109 people, and according to the managing director, Jotun Brasil is growing, despite the crisis in the international oil and gas industry that has affected all related segments.
«Our business strategy is to grow organically in new and in existing markets, and we currently have 33 factories around the world, and 10.000 employees. Our revenues are 17,5 billion NOK a year», she said in her presentation.
Jotun operates in four segments globally, but only two segments in the Brazilian market. These are Marine and Protective Coatings. The other segments are Decorative paint and Powder Coatings.
«Jotun is a global leading supplier of marine coatings, offering high quality products for corrosion, hull protection and beautifications, and more than 30.000 vessels around the world are protected by Jotun products today. It is in the Protective Coatings segment we see the biggest business opportunities in Brazil. We are a young company, but we are moving fast and embracing every new opportunity. Although the market is challenging, we have been able to grow the last months, and we are working hard making sure we are good on service and support.»
Focusing on maintenance and service, Jotun has been able to curb the challenges posed by a reduction in new construction projects, and monthly production is now 350.000-400.000 litres of paint per month.
The Jotun Penguin.
Research, development and innovation is a priority to Jotun, and in the future, the Itaborai facility will probably also have a research centre. Currently about 250 people are working with RD&I in the Jotun Group globally. Taking steps to be greener is another focus to the company. Jotun coatings could actually contribute dramatically to reducing the carbon footprint of international shipping. If all big vessels in the world used Jotun´s antifouling products, that protects the hull underwater, a 0,3 percent drop in CO2 emissions would be the result, according to Jotun executives.
Several iconic buildings around the world are protected by Jotun products, and the Eiffel tower in Paris, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo and the Burj al Arab in Dubai are some of the buildings on the exclusive list.
«We would also like to have an equally iconic building in Brazil in our portfolio», Marianne Terland Nilsen says.
The presentation was followed by a factory tour, where the visitors were shown all the steps of the production process.
By Runa Hestmann, NBCC journalist
(runa.tierno@nbcc.com.br)
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