Hempel

Active

Country: Denmark (DK)
Founded: 1915
HQ: Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Employees: ~7,200
Parent: Majority-owned by the Hempel Foundation and CVC Funds

Indexes

Sailing

Overview

Hempel A/S is a Denmark-based manufacturer of coatings and paints serving marine, protective, decorative, container, yacht, energy, and infrastructure sectors. It operates 20-25 manufacturing plants, multiple R&D facilities, and sales offices in over 100 countries with 2024 revenue of approximately $2.36 billion USD. The company focuses on asset protection through specialized coatings, with a global supply chain emphasizing manufacturing and logistics synergy.¹²³⁴⁵

History

Hempel A/S was founded in 1915 in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Jørgen Christian Hempel as a marine paints producer. It expanded globally with factories in China, Poland, and Argentina, and acquired UK-based Crown Paints in 2012 to enter decorative coatings and Blome International for protective linings. Today, it is majority-owned by the Hempel Foundation and CVC Funds, maintaining operations across key segments.¹²³⁵

Product Lines

Product Line	Positioning	Price Range
Marine Paints (Hempablue, Hempadur)	Coatings for ships and marine vessels	$100 - $1,000 per unit
Protective Coatings	Anticorrosive solutions for infrastructure	$150 - $800 per unit
Yacht Paints	High-performance finishes for yachts	$200 - $1,500 per unit
Decorative Paints	Paints and wallpapers for homes and buildings	$20 - $200 per gallon
Container Coatings	Protective layers for shipping containers	$100 - $600 per unit
Energy & Infrastructure Coatings	Solutions for industrial and energy assets	$200 - $1,200 per unit

Manufacturing

Hempel operates 20-25 manufacturing plants worldwide, including facilities in Denmark, China, Poland, and Argentina. Production is in-house with an integrated global supply chain focused on synergy in manufacturing, sustainability, and logistics. R&D occurs in two main and four regional facilities.¹³⁴⁵

Notable Products

Hempadur Quattro - Universal anticorrosive primer suitable for wide surfaces with year-round application.
Hempaguard Ultima - Innovative product launched for marine or protective applications.
Hempablue - Marine coating used in ship protection.
Hempadur Quattro HS 1763H/1763K - High-solids anticorrosive coatings for marine use.

Reputation

Hempel is regarded by professionals as a reliable supplier of durable coatings in marine and protective sectors, valued for global reach and R&D innovation. Enthusiasts in yachting appreciate its specialized paints for performance. Some note its expansion through acquisitions has broadened its decorative segment presence.¹²³

Sources (5)