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May 2011 www.marinelink.com 7 INTERVIEW FIVE MINUTES WITH STEVE DICKEY, SHERWIN-WILLIAMS PROTECTIVE & MARINE COATINGS How long have you been in the business of marine coatings? Dickey I have been in the marine coat- ings business for 30 years, at Ameron, PPG and Sherwin-Williams. I started my career in the Ameron labs, and then moved to marketing and international li- censee support. Then I was promoted to VP of marketing and then to group pres- ident. I went to PPG as part of the sale of Ameron and served as the global marine director. Now I’m the global market di- rector of marine coatings at Sherwin- Williams. In your career, what do you believe to be the most significant changes in the marine coatings business? Dickey The first significant change in the marine coatings business over the span of my career is technology. When I started 30 years ago “high solids” meant 45%, now most ballast tank and epoxy primers are above 80% solids and many topcoats have solids greater than 70%. All of this change means two things: fewer solvents emitted into the environ- ment and a significantly reduced chance of solvent being trapped in the coatings film and contributing to premature fail- ures. Also, antifoulings and foul release coat- ings no longer contain TBT, and in many cases the level of biocides has been re- duced or eliminated. Second, IMO PSPC and SOLAS legisla- tion is greatly changing how coatings companies approach the design and sup- ply of our products and how ship owners view the application of coatings and maintenance of their vessels. In the end this will result in significant changes in technology used to design, apply and in- spect coatings. You have been with Sherwin-Williams a relatively short time; what attracted you to the company and this position? Dickey Sherwin-Williams convinced me (in 2010) that they are committed to being a leader in the global marine coat- ings market through a combination of technology advancements, an acute un- derstanding of customer needs, a proven history and exemplary service. What do you consider the company’s strengths in the marine market? Dickey Sherwin-Williams is a 145 year old coatings company that understands how to service our customers whether they are in Norfolk, Shanghai or Rio. We bring outstanding ballast tank coatings technology to the market with our Eu- ronavy ES 301 and Fast Clad ER prod- ucts. When Sherwin-Williams has the desire to succeed, we always pull through. For example, we have proven ourselves in North America and are now beginning to do that in other parts of the world. Any weaknesses? Dickey While Sherwin-Williams has a complete product line offering, our tech- nology teams are working hard to de- velop more advanced bottom system technology. Second, while we have dis- tribution in over 34 countries, we are working rapidly to expand the framework of our global network. You indicated previously that global ex- pansion of the Sherwin-Williams brand to the marine market was one of your pri- mary missions. To this end, please pro- vide your assessment of the global marine coatings market? Dickey Easier-to-apply coatings will Steve Dickey, Market Director, Global Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings When Steve Dickey joined Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings in 2010, he was tasked to help enhance the iconic brand’s global identity. He discusses with MR the plan and progress. • by Greg Trauthwein
