India produces global weave

In 1976, Mr B.D. Garware, a pioneer in the plastic and synthetic yarn industry, established Garware-Wall Rope in technical and financial collaboration with M/S. Wall Industries Inc in the USA. Then in 1987 Garware bought out the American partner. The company has gone from the production of basic polypropylene ropes and twines to high performance nets such as its flagship product Sapphire and Olivene MK3.Sapphire, an HDPE compact netting introduced in 2002, is reported to work especially well under demanding fishing conditions, due to its combination of high knot strength, good abrasion resistance and good knot tightness. "We have had an excellent feedback from across the world," says Pravin Gogia, international sales manager for Garware-Wall Rope. He says that the Sapphire has been successfully used in Mexico for shrimp trawls, replacing some panels of nylon pelagic trawls in Las Palmas and bottom trawls and codends in Norway, Iceland, Denmark, South Africa and Australia.

Due to its knot performance and compact construction, the braided Sapphire restricts mud penetration as well as ensures less drag. In addition, the abrasion resistance reduces wear and tear and makes it easier to tow. This means less fuel consumption and the possibility of down-sizing.

Another example of Garware's efforts to develop superior products is Olivene MK3, the first compact, braided netting from Garware. The company has improved it regularly since it was first launched in 1999. Users, says the company, report that it has exceptional stability in its mesh and is eminently suitable for all panels subjected to heavy wear. Sanjay V. Raut, the company's vice president in charge of products development said that they have also developed netting with special characteristics for codends.

Quality success

Following the trend of producing high quality products, Garware-Wall Rope has now gone into collaboration on nylon pelagic nets, under an agreement with Carlsen Net of Denmark based on transfer of technology. The key benefits of these nets, it says, are high shock absorption capacity, excellent mesh stability and high abrasion resistance delivered through the special impregnation recipe and technology used by Carlsen products.

Garware-Wall produces 15,000 tonnes (t) of ropes and 5000t of nets. Its offices in the USA, Europe, Africa and Australia sell more than 40 per cent of its production to the export market, and this has gradually been growing since 1995.

"Our success in the international market is founded on a very strict attendance to the quality system," says Mr Gogia. "Giving the customer a product that solves his problems, a product that serves its purpose and which stands second to none and exceeds expectations, is what we are constantly trying to achieve. "We give solutions which are a mix of various benefits, not only price. We look at the customers and see how we can deliver the best solutions for them," says Mr Pravin.

Garware-Wall Ropes prides itself in being one of the first companies of its type in the world to obtain the ISO 9001:2000 quality certification. This was in 1995, for persistent commitment to quality, competitive prices and definite adherence to delivery schedules.

One-stop-shop

At a difficult time for the fishing industry, with quotas being cut and reports from FAO calling for more reduction in fishing effort worldwide, Garware remains optimistic and that shows in its targets. Its fishing division is steadily growing at a 10 per cent average per annum. "Global fishing effort is going down but there is opportunity for us to grow," affirms Garware-Wall Ropes president M. V. Subba Rao. "We try to provide better solutions by putting a lot of effort in developing superior products. Therefore, we are finding an increasing opportunity for our business and the fact that the industry is shrinking does not affect us. As customers see overall value in dealing with us and we see our share of their business increased," Mr Subba Rao added.

To ensure the highest quality levels for its products, and to adapt to customers' demands, Garware designs and manufactures its own nets and rope-making machines, which number more than 100.

Manufacturing facilities in Pune and Wai, cover an area of 40 acres and now have a new extension for their assembly shop. "We started the assembly shop two years ago and we have already run out of space! We hope to have the new building ready for assembling nets this month," Mr Gogia said. He explains that the extended assembly shop is part of their one-stop-shop philosophy, which Garware-Wall offers it customers.

"We wanted to give our customers the option of partial fabrication and offer integrated service facilities. We try to give them as many options as possible to help increase their own competitiveness. In addition, we offer now complete packages of aquaculture, purse seine, gill nets and trawl products," Mr Gogia said.

The wide range of products also includes fully fabricated purse seines for anchovy, mackerel, tuna and pilchard. "Our strong R&D and engineering team comprising experts in polymers, chemistry and textiles, caters for customers' specific requirements. We produce nylon purse seine nets as per Norwegian standards. These have to have perfect netting parameters and be specially impregnated. It is also a matter of great pride for us being the preferred manufacturer for the Menhaden purse seines in the US." The Indian company supplies purse seines to Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Africa, Australia, South America, USA and Mexico. We will look more at its work and the latest developments in nets and ropes for specific applications (such as the Maxilon for mid-water and deep-sea fishing and Long-Line ropes) in the July issue of World Fishing.