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Presenting

MARKET

NEWS

Safety company casts net wider

AFinland-based company which aviation industry. It ventured into the market share of about 20% but the rest

manufactures helideck safety offshore market 20 years ago and was extremely fragmented with no other

nets is embarking on an expansion manufactures DNV and ABS certiied manufacturer coming close in terms of
into the commercial shipping sector.landing nets which sit on the helideck to size. He said there were many smaller

Frictape currently supplies nets provide friction for the helicopter and companies with some of them making
mainly to the oil & gas industry within its also for people walking on the helideck.much cheaper nets but without the same

maritime division, as well as mega yachts “It is critical, especially on vessels quality as Frictape.
and on land, to places such as hospitals where it can be windy and rainy and the “When you are out at sea, the

and skyscrapers.vessel can be heaving up and down and environment is really a demanding one
As Heikki Koivu, Head of Customer sideways,” explained Mr Koivu. “It stops and the people who buy these cheaper

Operations, explained: “We have the oil the helicopter from sliding.”nets then turn to us when they realise
& gas sector covered quite well but it’s The company also manufacture they actually need something that lasts

quite a speciic industry and we have perimeter safety nets which go round the for a long time which they can trust

been thinking for quite some time about helideck to stop anyone, or anything, from 24/7,” he said.
the best way to tackle the market for falling off, and also plan to launch a new “The oil vessels are the extreme case

freighters, tankers and cruise ships.product – helideck lighting – next year.because the nets don’t cost that much to
Launched 40 years ago, the company Mr Koivu said Frictape, which also buy but if there is an accident it becomes

irst started making products for thehas an ofice in Singapore, has a globalextremely expensive right away.” u

The SHIP Supplier Issue 67 2015 47