Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
FEATURE<br />
FirstDart<br />
R&D PAYS<br />
OFF FOR OEM<br />
LINE FIRM<br />
FIRSTDART<br />
The Covid-19 pandemic caused many companies to rethink their strategy. Some scaled back,<br />
line expert FirstDart pushed forward, placing R&D firmly at the core of its future plans. Now<br />
it is looking ahead with confidence, ready to work with even more global partners…<br />
When the pandemic struck,<br />
FirstDart was going through<br />
the peak of its production<br />
season, until the multiple<br />
strict lockdowns at the time interrupted its<br />
usual plans and forced a strategic rethink.<br />
But rather than scale things down, it made<br />
R&D a cornerstone of its philosophy, futureproofing<br />
the business in the process.<br />
FirstDart has always worked on new<br />
product development but, in 2020, a multidisciplinary<br />
and multi-geographical R&D<br />
task force from its Singapore HQ and<br />
Chinese facilities was formed. Crucially, it<br />
was not limited just to the technical team but<br />
also included a material science specialist and<br />
members of the sales team.<br />
The new team was tasked to achieve<br />
resilience, capacity, capability, and compliance.<br />
KEY MILESTONES<br />
As a result of this approach, FirstDart<br />
developed a number of key areas, or<br />
milestones, for its business:<br />
• Building resilience through flexibility:<br />
Modifying its production processes and<br />
machines made changes easier and faster,<br />
enabling higher customisation levels with<br />
lower MOQs. One great example is the<br />
launch of its Hybrid Mono line at China<br />
Fish <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
• Increasing capacity in key areas:<br />
Alongside additional machinery, this<br />
involved improving and optimising<br />
processes and conducting material<br />
studies to increase productivity. The<br />
most important capacity increment was<br />
in its fly line division. A year into the<br />
pandemic, a new production machine<br />
with higher automation and upgraded<br />
equipment for sample production were<br />
added. Weatherproof measures to enable<br />
34 www.tackletradeworld.com<br />
production every day of the year were also<br />
implemented in 2022.<br />
• Developing capability through new<br />
technologies and materials: Arguably the<br />
most rewarding and customer-centric of<br />
all the tasks, FirstDart incorporated the<br />
needs and wants of the market into its<br />
product development wish list.<br />
The industry has seen little<br />
development in materials since nylon,<br />
UHMWPE and PVDF or fluorocarbon.<br />
FirstDart’s quest for new materials<br />
helped it develop a new line with fishing<br />
specific properties based on PET.<br />
Customers saw it first at China Fish.<br />
Meanwhile, biodegradable options are<br />
being prototyped.<br />
It also made significant quality<br />
improvements over the last three years in<br />
fly lines. FirstDart is not only a supplier<br />
of low-cost fly lines, but it is now making<br />
inroads into a more specialised level.<br />
• Ensuring compliance with customers’<br />
requirements and with regulations: Every<br />
development has been done with the<br />
utmost emphasis on quality control and<br />
alignment with policies and regulations in<br />
the industry, country and worldwide, such<br />
as REACH and California Proposition 65.<br />
The intensive work and investment<br />
in R&D of the last three years are the<br />
building blocks of what is to come in<br />
<strong>2024</strong> and, going forward, FirstDart sees<br />
a renewed approach and commitment to<br />
be a true OEM solution provider for all<br />
fishing line needs.<br />
A POSITIVE OUTLOOK<br />
This year FirstDart is showcasing<br />
tangible testimonies to its hard work,<br />
through new and improved products and<br />
technologies.<br />
Hybrid Mono is the result of an<br />
upgraded coating process giving the<br />
customer total flexibility to select the<br />
best monofilament for their needs and<br />
enhance it with a fluoropolymer coating.<br />
Its premium range of fly lines has been<br />
specially made for different applications<br />
thanks to customised coatings and inhouse<br />
core making. Meanwhile, PET<br />
materials offer high sensitivity, abrasion<br />
resistance and sinking characteristics<br />
along with biodegradable options. All of<br />
these developments are in the pipeline.<br />
FirstDart’s view is <strong>2024</strong> will be<br />
challenging but it remains optimistic.<br />
Customers’ trust in it continues, with<br />
orders and new products during the<br />
pandemic, while the increasing interest in<br />
developing solutions with the business is<br />
proof that the gamble is paying off.<br />
FIRSTDART<br />
www.firstdart.com
Change language