RS Clare's anti-skid product in new demand worldwide

Liverpool’s oldest manufacturer is gearing up for growth after a surge in the world’s shipping fleet. Toxteth-based RS Clare was established in 1748 and makes a range of lubricants.
Now its anti-skid coating, Bimagrip, is stepping up production after winning contracts for several new car carriers and ferries, and for widespread bridge construction in North America.
Mark Butler, RS Clare technical sales manager, revealed the firm has won work with shipping line ACL, which operates the Liverpool to New York trade route.
“ACL is part of the Grimaldi Group and we put our anti-skid material on six of their vessels in Croatia about five years ago,” he said. Now the company will be supplying the product for ACL’s boats in China and Grimaldi’s in Korea.
Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird recently launched two new Scottish ferries, the first vessels built in the yard for 20 years, which also used Clare’s Bimagrip.
Butler explained, “Ship building internationally went haywire a few years ago. There was no demand, so many ships were getting scrapped and the new-build ship market for us wasn’t very good, but we are getting orders left right and center now.”
He said this is due to the world economy picking up, albeit slowly, and the widening of the Panama Canal which has led to a new breed of “super vessel.”
Butler sees Clare working with shipbuilders in Korea, China and Japan for the next three to five years providing its anti-skid material.
He added, “Ship building is big for us, but we are also working on steel bridge decks in America.”
“Traditionally they are replaced with a stronger concrete bridge, but now a new steel deck will be much lighter and stronger, and this takes a few weeks rather than a few months.”
(August 1, 2013)