OSTASIA TRADING PTE. LTD partnership for the Asian Market
01/05/2012
Make or break: ropes and net coatings
I-COATS NV, which stands for Innovative Coating Solutions, is a specialist company set up by two men who are highly experienced in the rope and netting industries.
Koen van Goethem, formerly of Belgian coatings manufacturer Govi NV, and Loet Hoppe, previously with DSM Dyneema and Bexco, have joined forces to establish a new company, drawing on their more than 15 years’ individual experience.
Koen van Goethem tells FNI that the new company is part-owned by Govi, where he had previously been running that company’s rope and netting department.
"With the experience that we had between us, we both felt that a challenge was needed. Rope and netting is only a small part of Govi’s work, and I felt that I couldn’t give it the attention that it deserved, so we got together and negotiated with Govi to set up I-Coats," he explains.
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I-Coats has an exclusive distribution contract for this niche market to use Govi’s products and warehouse facilities.
"We are working together on development and providing Govi with market information, as well as organizing their training," he tells FNI.
I-Coats products, often regarded as a detail, can in fact be what makes or breaks a rope or net, he says.
Loet Hoppe (left) and Koen van Goethem have joined forces to form the specialist coatings company I-Coats, taking over the fishing industry business of Govi.
"Different coatings suit different fibres, and we see possibilities in tailoring a variety of ‘cocktails’ that suit the customer’s products precisely. Many netting producers don’t have people who specialize in this, and this is where we come in, as we can carry out analysis. We also bring together our combined knowledge of ropes and coatings," according to Koen van Goethem.
I-Coats offers coatings where needed, assistance, advice, and consultancy services, or any combination of these.
"We are supplying water-based systems: emulsions or dispersions which are diluted by our customers. We are the only company that offers a specific coating for each fibre," he says.
"The right coating allows for greater efficiency to be obtained from a rope or a net," says Loet Hoppe.
He adds that special coatings for Dyneema and marine coatings for nylon prolong the life of rope, protecting it against the tough environment of fishing.
"Most of the time, our customers do their own testing on samples, and they normally see a difference when we have supplied a custom-made coating for their products."
source: 20 august 2008 - IntraFish
