Advertisement

B.C. netting company makes transition from fishing to sport with ease

WATCH: A B.C. business has taken its product from the ocean to the arena and beyond. Elaine Yong reports.

Netex Canada Netting’s website is as bare bones as it gets.

No company description, no expansive photo galleries—just a short description of what the B.C. company provides, and how to get in touch with them.

But the lack of online sophistication bellies their success.

“We’ve done everything by trade shows and word of mouth, and we’ve been busy the last 18 years,” says owner Mark Wilson.

Wilson grew up in Delta, expecting to make a career of commercial fishing just as generations of his family did before him. However, the decline of the business in B.C. led him to think of other ways his skillset could be used.

Story continues below advertisement
“I’d been taught by my brothers how to build nets, and then worked with them when I was younger. They type of netting that we built for commercial [fishing] was the same way we build golf nets or baseball nets,” he said.

Turns out, the strong yet thin fiber his family developed is highly desirable for batting cages, driving ranges, NHL arenas, and plenty of other recreational areas.

“First we stretched into the U.S., colleges and such, [but] within the last few years we have been to Korea, into Australia,” said Wilson, who says his nets produce the tightest nets with the longest life expectancy.

Companies seem to agree. Netex is constantly expanding, and is in negotiations to supply nets for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. With just six employees—the majority of which are family members—Wilson will need to find more employees or automate tasks sooner rather than later.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

It’s a good problem to have.

“Fishing is basically an industry for older guys now,” says Wilson.

“[We’re] trying to train people who have never been involved in fishing before.”
Story continues below advertisement

– With files from Elaine Yong

Sponsored content

AdChoices