Quietly nestled in the wooded Day Road Industrial Park area on Bainbridge Island, Net Systems Inc. has been manufacturing commercial grade fishing nets and other trawling equipment for the past 27 years. Net Systems parent company, Nichimo Corporation, Ltd., is the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing nets and equipment, processing gear, and food processing machinery. This global alliance allows Net Systems to offer worldwide support and ready access to the best minds and resources available in such areas as manufacturing technology, financing, production, and ongoing service. However, Dan Oliver, president of Net Systems, considers the Pacific Northwest his primary market. “Here is where we make our stand,” Oliver says. “The northwest fisheries is one of the most important in the world and it is in our backyard.”

Competition in the commercial fishing arena is fierce. “The northwest fisheries are some of the largest and most stable in the world,” explained Oliver, “and every manufacturer of fishing equipment wants to have a presence here.” Oliver considers the fact that Net Systems has been able to succeed in the face of stiff international competition is a testimony to the quality and craftsmanship of their product lines. “We simply make some of the best equipment out there,” proclaimed Oliver.

Net Systems, Inc has an impressive line of mid and bottom water trawling nets. The firm sells the traditional knotted style of net as well as Ultra Cross ®, the knotless net Ultra Cross is a highly advanced 4-strand, braided continuous monofilament netting used for heavy duty commercial fishing applications. Ultra Cross netting delivers superior strength and performance over conventional knotted netting through the use of Dyneema®, Spectra®, High Tenacity Polyethylene, Nylon or Polyester fiber.

“This is a patented process and we are the only manufacturer of Ultra Cross in the country,” reported Oliver. With five looms, Net Systems can produce netting from twine with diameters of 2.5 to 10 millimeters and mesh sizes from 100 to 13,000 millimeters. To have the same tensile strength as an Ultra Cross net, a traditional knotted net would have to be twice as thick and weigh twice as much. To a commercial fisherman the weight and drag of a net is important because these factors directly impact the fuel consumption of the ship. “In today’s market of increasing fuel costs and decreasing profit margins, every little bit of savings helps,” said Oliver.

The net is only one part of a trawler’s fishing system. Of equal importance are the doors that are attached to the front of the net with the purpose of holding open the mouth of the net. The doors directly contribute to the amount of power required to pull the net through the water. The more effective the doors, the less power required, and a lower fuel consumption. Net Systems has several lines of successful door designs. “We are continuously receiving testimonials from ship captains about our doors and how they improve the fuel efficiency of their vessel,” beamed Oliver.

In addition to providing nets for trawlers, Net Systems has a full line of barrier netting. “Net Systems has held a contract with the Washington State Ferries for the last several years to make all their barrier nets,” disclosed Oliver. “We have also made barrier nets for the United States Navy and several off-shore oil platforms.”

One product line that Net Systems does not produce is drift nets. “People have a negative reaction to drift nets,” says Oliver. “We have never made them and we never will.”
Looking towards the future, Oliver is hopeful the line of aquaculture products that Net Systems has developed will soon catch on. “Back in the mid-nineties there was a lot of interest in aquaculture so we developed a line to meet the need, but recently the demand just hasn’t been there,” explained Oliver. Aquaculture is the science, art, and business of cultivating saltwater or freshwater fish or shellfish under controlled conditions. “I really believe that aquaculture will be a market in the future. When it does come of age we will be ready,” pronounced Oliver.

Oliver shared some concerns about the validity of the future labor pool for Net Systems. “Currently we employ 48 people,” he said. “During the our peak period just prior to the fishing session we could employ several more, but we have a hard time finding people with the aptitude we need.” Oliver’s main concern is the increasing age of his current workforce and the fact that he doesn’t have a steady supply of young workers coming in to learn the skills to replace them. “There is some artisanship in what we do,” stated Oliver. “Right now we are having a difficult time locating young people who are willing to stick around and learn the art.”

Oliver noted that Net Systems has a good pay and benefits package, but that doesn’t seem to be enticing the young worker today. Oliver is hopeful the KEDC and other local resources will be able to help him figure out how to create an attractive career path for his future employees.

Net Systems, Inc
7910 NE Day Road West
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Tel: (206) 842-5623
Web: www.net-sys.com