AkzoNobel has opened a new Yacht Paint Application Center in Hamburg, Germany, expanding its technical support and training network for the superyacht and leisure marine sectors.
The Hamburg facility forms part of AkzoNobel’s investment in regional application support and will serve customers across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It joins existing YPAC locations in North America, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia.
The centre is intended for applicators, distributors, designers, contractors, boatbuilders and refit yards working with AkzoNobel yacht coatings, including its Awlgrip and International brands.
Training will cover preparation, priming, filling, topcoat application, maintenance and repair of paint systems, alongside technology and sustainable practice.
Product education
The company says the centre has been developed to support product education, hands-on training and improved technical knowledge as yards, contractors and distributors respond to changing regulations and skills shortages.
The Hamburg site includes a mezzanine-level training room, paint mixing room, preparation bay and spray booth. Digital training tools include a virtual reality spray-gun simulator that allows applicators to practise yacht painting techniques without using product, as well as XpertEye remote support headsets, AMV colour-measurement technology and AkzoNobel’s MIXIT colour identification platform.
“The opening of our new Yacht Paint Application Centre in Germany marks another milestone in our commitment to technical leadership, training, and customer partnership,” said Jemma Lampkin, yacht global commercial director at AkzoNobel.
“The facility brings our technical expertise even closer to customers, supporting them with training, services and hands-on guidance to achieve exceptional coating performance with confidence.”
