After 25 years running his own net loft in Hirtshals, Ray Godtliebsen has sold the business to Cosmos Trawl, who were keen to acquire the smaller net loft’s expertise with seine nets.
He said that customers aren’t going to see anything different.
‘It’s the same staff with years of experience behind them, the phone number is the same and even the coffee is the same,’ he said.
The company started life in Fredrikshavn, moved to Hirtshals as CombiTrawl and subsequently became Ray’s Vod- og Trawlbinderi, specialising in seine nets and langoustine trawls with its market mainly among the smaller end of the fleet, with customers all along the coast down to Thorup Strand and Bønnerup, as well as further afield. The company has been in its present premises overlooking the small boat berths since 1992 and over the years it has built up a loyal customer base. It’s even located on Vodbinderivej – Net Loft Street.
Ray Godtliebsen is satisfied with the new arrangement, which brings together two different sets of skills and experience, and he expects to be called on to train Cosmos Trawl staff and to pass on his knowledge of seine net gear in particular.
According to Cosmos Trawl’s managing director Haraldur Árnason, the intention is eventually to move Ray’s Vodbinderi to the Cosmos workshops across the dock.
‘Ray has decades of experience and a very strong reputation. He has agreed to stay on with us for the next four years to train up younger netmakers to design and produce the seine nets that are his speciality. He produces some outstanding fishing gear and has the gears he has developed have been exceptionally successful,’ he said.
