Australian marine industry manufacturer JEC Marine has won the 2018 Australian Marine Industry Award for innovation behind its marine fans, pumps and multiple water-cooled condensing unit.

Paul Jindra, founder of JEC Marine, was presented with the award at the ASMEX 2018 conference in Sanctuary Cove in May this year. The award is presented annually for outstanding achievements of Australian businesses in the Marine export, superyacht and commercial sectors.

The award is a big win for Paul and JEC Marine, recognising years of commitment to designing, building and exporting quality marine products. As a boat builder and owner, Paul couldn’t find a boat engine room ventilation fan or marine pump on the market that was fully marinised and able to withstand the harsh ocean environment, so he built both himself over 20 years ago.

Since 1998, Paul and his small expert team have been developing marine products based on brushless, synchronous DC technology, which uses surplus energy created by the vessel, which in turn reduces running and maintenance costs for boat owners. JEC’s products are also built for a long life at sea. This is in contrast to alternative marine products on the market that use AC power, but don’t have the same endurance.

In the case of AC motors, it’s very difficult to find a product that is specifically developed for the marine industry. JEC’s fans have been proven to last at least 19 years in service and by all accounts, could have kept on going.

JEC Marine are pioneers in bringing brushless DC technology into boats. For the first time, a brushless design gives maintenance-free operation, powered by the boat’s surplus energy and hard anodized for marine conditions.

JEC’s products recognised by the award organisers for their innovative design are:

• Boat engine room ventilation fans, which are smaller than the AC alternatives and have speed and temperature control
• Circulation and fire pumps, running off batteries with speed control
• JEC’s Combi system, which is a multiple water-cooled condensing unit, negating the need for a generator or substantially reducing the size of one and the associated fuel consumption (as it only needs to run when anchoring off shore)

The Awards are organised by the Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX), Superyacht Australia and the Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG). AIMEX is the peak body representing the Australian Marine export and superyacht.

*ASMEX (Australian Superyacht, Marine Export and Commercial Marine Industry)