The company was started by Rod Card in his father-in-law's garage in the summer of
1986 after his first year at university. Rod had learned and practiced his net building
skills by helping his father, Art, who was responsible for the fishing nets and gear of a
local traditional fishery fleet. The company was called Card's Nets and it employed Rod
and a few of his friends.
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Card's Nets quickly gained a reputation among the local fish farmers for quality nets that
were always delivered on time. This reputation fueled a steady growth in demand and the
fledgling company quickly out grew the garage. In 1988, after two years of working two
jobs, saving and with the assistance of the Province of N.B., the Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency and good customers, the company purchased a building in the St.
George industrial park. The number of employees soon doubled and then tripled, the
net loft now offered repair services and operated a small retail store.
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The rapid growth of the industry made it very difficult to keep pace with demand and a
dedicated team of employees worked long hours to keep up with orders. By 1992, the company
had run out of space and was unable to hire more employees within the "new" net loft.
Fortunately, with support from the Province of N.B. and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities
Agency, we were able to secure financing to relocate to our current location of 111 Mealey
Road in Pennfield NB. The new facilities allowed us to introduce an antifoulant treatment
service for net pens and consider new ventures. In 1994 the company expanded its equipment
expertise to include design and manufacturing techniques for Circular Cage and Mooring System
projects. The need for a more durable cage suited to the harsh climate in the Bay of Fundy
created an opportunity. The result was a very successful new line of circular cages with
greater strength and flexibility.
In 1996, the company changed its name to Cards Aquaculture Products Ltd. to reflect the diversity
of the products and services now being offered. As Cards Aqua continues to grow, the innovation
continues to include the development of a unique net pen weight ring system, an environmentally
friendly, automated antifoulant application machine and a new net management service that
allows our customers to track the lifecycle of a net from cradle to grave.
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| The local aquaculture industry
has allowed us to establish our reputation for quality and innovation in the
field of aquaculture products and services, and building on that reputation
has become one of the top priorities for Rod and the team at Cards Aquaculture Products Ltd.
We have grown from a small backyard business to become a world class supplier
of quality aquaculture products and a leader in aquaculture
innovations. With locations on both the East and West coasts of Canada and
in Chile, South America, we are firmly committed to growth and strength but
we will always strive to maintain the friendly, easy to talk to atmosphere
that our customers have become accustomed to. At Cards Aqua every customer
is our most valued customer. |
