Spain

Nautichandler

Nauti Chandler

original

small

medium

large

extra_large

After starting life as Nautipesca Can Miguel, Mallorca’s first yacht chandlery in 1971, the family-run <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/8216" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautipaints Group (Company)">Nautipaints Group</a> now spans superyacht painting and refinishing, hull and tank maintenance, marine supplies and, as of this year, scaffolding and containment.Following a recent spate of heavyweight refit projects – including the 107-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/64" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oceanco (Company)">Oceanco</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4795" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Black Pearl106.7m (350'1&quot;)Oceanco2018">Black Pearl</a> and the 88-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/51" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Perini Navi (Company)">Perini Navi</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> – CEO Toni Salom talks us through the company’s planned move towards new builds, how COVID-19 pushed it to embrace e-commerce, and how the tide has turned on electrostatic spray guns.&nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/380414/image/large-911dac448433c9012e7f3db83f59a51a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/380414"> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/8216" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautipaints Group (Company)">Nautipaints Group</a>&nbsp;is a family affair. How important is that to you?&nbsp;I saw the growth of the yachting industry in Mallorca from a few small fishing boats in the early 1990s to the huge yachts we have today. In recent years, my children, Maena (General Manager of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5656" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautichandler (Company)">Nautichandler</a>) and Joan (Deputy General Manager of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/8216" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautipaints Group (Company)">Nautipaints</a>) are already starting to be group’s driving force. I’m still the CEO, but the company now has a third generation in the business, and I feel extremely proud of that.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/380418/image/large-bf99ecbee31532cf69e84c0e21c98448.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/380418"> How are you looking to grow the business going forward?&nbsp;To increase our business, we need to target the new build sector and the idea is to have an established position in the market within the next three years by consolidating our presence on mainland Spain, in the South of France, and northern Europe.&nbsp;Over the last 20 years, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/8216" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautipaints Group (Company)">Nautipaints</a> has completed more than 250 full refit paint projects in 13 different locations, which reflects the scale and reliability of our operations. As part of a three-year strategic plan, we aim to continue expanding all four divisions of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/8216" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautipaints Group (Company)">Nautipaints Group</a> beyond Mallorca, while also developing our presence in the new build sector. This year, for example, we began collaborating on the construction of a 25-metre catamaran in Spain, a project that represents the direction in which we’re heading.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/380415/image/large-d70ca96b4e5c5df903de32712dc3a5b2.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/380415">What is the biggest obstacle you’ve faced while growing the company?&nbsp;COVID-19, without a doubt. We were lucky because my team managed to support each other and adapt during some very difficult moments, and come out stronger on the other side. It also gave me an inspirational idea. I was sitting at home and noticed that Amazon drivers were some of the only people working, and this inspired me to develop the e-commerce side of our supply business, which today is a key part of the group: a platform with worldwide shipping, from which we have already delivered to over 70 countries.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/380416/image/large-a1e1e5cfe029a7f6879addf91b1f431a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/380416">What have been the major technological developments you’ve seen in your sector over the past 50 years? In general, we’re still working with the same products we’ve always worked with, although the quality of these have certainly improved over time. For example, primers have been developed that contain more solids to fend off corrosion. The choices available have also expanded – you can now choose from a huge array of different paint colours, for example, and we also have our own machines in-house to mix the paint ourselves.&nbsp;Another major change has been our adoption of electrostatic spray guns, which we started using around five years ago. These are a great tool because they help us to really reduce our wastage. &nbsp;A few years ago, we were hesitant about training our guys in how to use them because clients were demanding that we use conventional airspray guns instead. Now it’s the total opposite. Beyond these specific examples, our focus is on the continuous incorporation of new developments and innovations that enhance efficiency, safety, and quality across all our projects.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/371067/image/large-40d8bcc9d32f0e0a1aba45f43d96019e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/371067">Finally, what have been the most memorable or complex yacht projects you’ve worked on to date?&nbsp;The most complex was probably the tank treatments we recently did for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4795" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Black Pearl106.7m (350'1&quot;)Oceanco2018">Black Pearl</a>. We carried them out with the boat in the water, which nobody had ever attempted before. We had to strictly control the humidity and all of the environmental conditions, and passed all of the pipes through the boat itself, which was unusual. We also had to factor in the very real risk of explosion, which meant there was a lot of pressure around the project. Overall, though, it was a very successful project.&nbsp;Again, with the work we did on <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a>, we were working in very complicated conditions. We completed the work in Italy in winter between November and April, so it was very rainy and windy at the time. Both were brilliant projects for us and helped show the industry what we’re capable of.This article was first published in <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-9-download" target="_blank">issue 9 of How To Build It</a>. You can read all the articles from this edition <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-9-download" target="_blank">here</a>, and stay up-to-date with all previous editions <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine" target="_blank">here</a>.

Nautipaints Group CEO Toni Salom interview

Georgia Tindale sits in a conversation with Nautipaints CEO Toni Salom.

Nautipaints Group's CEO Toni Salom on family legacy and business growth beyond refit

Suppliers: Transport