News Features

Okuma builds on strength

Sunday, 05 September 2010 20:04

TODAY the Okuma reel factory stands as one of the very top players in the market. It's built on a foundation of comprehensive knowledge, flair for building networks and a capacity for innovation. Okuma is a reel tower of strength!

Well, that's the opinion of its European distributor and partner, Svendsen Sport, at least! But it's also a view shared with many dealers and anglers around the globe...

Since Okuma's humble beginnings in 1987, it has focused on building lighter, stronger and more durable products for all types of anglers. Some of the many innovations from Okuma include EOS (Elliptical Oscillation System), Dual Force Drag, the new Blade Body Design and Alumilite Construction. Okuma is one of the world's fastest growing tackle manufacturers, and with consistent innovation and a focus on becoming more efficient, OKUMA stands stronger than ever.

Magnus Gunnarsson, Okuma's European export manager, said: "Svendsen Sport started to distribute Okuma reels in Scandinavia in 1990, and we did so well that we soon became EU and UK distributors. Today, we are very closely linked with Svendsen and the people their almost consider us to be family! We have a very strong relationship."

Okuma doesn't look for inspiration from other manufacturers; instead, inspiration comes from anglers, from the weekend warrior to tournament pros.

Today the Okuma Fishing reel and rod factory holds a unique position, employing more than 2,000 workers and controlling the development process from the idea to the mass production of quality fishing tackle - giving the world's anglers a superb and unparalleled array of reels.

The Chinese factory is packed with hi-tech machines and a hyper-motivated and well-educated staff - this along with Okuma Taiwan's high-precision CNC production and testing facility and the strong German R&D engineering team, makes a solid platform.

It's a system that works well for Svendsen.

"Our ideas go straight to our own German engineering team," explained Magnus. "They then materialise as drawings and plans for the R&D team in Taiwan and China to work on a prototype. Then we receive testing samples and take it from there. It's a very smooth process.

"There are lots of reel manufacturers in the world," continued Magnus, "but nobody can produce reels as good as Okuma for the money. We believe that Okuma reels are as good as reels that cost three times as much - and that's something our customers love."

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CGC Expo's buoyant return

Sunday, 05 September 2010 20:04

CHINA's second largest show, the CGC Expo, was again a success in 2009 in its second ever edition.

WEHAI was once again host to the tackle show billed as China Fish’s ‘little brother’, the CGC Expo. It was only the show’s second edition but the signs of growth and potential were plain for all to see.
The show experienced a substantial increase in exhibitor numbers with a total of 252 stands booked. There were also a total of 1,483 trade visitors as well as over 7,000 public visitors on the public days – impressive figures, given the show is still in its infancy.
The show’s format could be one of the main reasons for its early success. Over the four days there are two designated days for international buyers and then two days for all visitors. It’s a method that organiser and presient of CGC Expo Li Jiang is happy with. He said: “A number of agents visit China during autumn to carry out meetings and discuss product launches for the next year. In the first CGC Expo many agents and manufacturers attended it as well as their meetings so we decided to have two dedicated international buyers days.”
Since its inception, the idea behind the CGC Expo has been to give visitors to China the chance to see more local and small to medium-sized manufacturers. That trend continued in the second year as Li explained: “This year’s CGC has allowed many small to medium-sized companies to find their way to the international market, which they couldn’t before.”
But as well as offering huge trading opportunities and building bridges between eastern and western fishing-tackle firms, the show uncovered another potentially huge undercurrent in the Chinese tackle market. Lure fishing is starting to get noticed.
“Indeed, lure fishing is growing in China. It is particularly welcomed by the youth. I think this is going to be profitable for the tackle industry in China. The lure fishing market is expected to be several times the size of the traditional one, as it consumes much more tackle than traditional fishing methods.
“Currently, the China Fishing Tackle Association (CFTA) is also making an effort to promote this sport.”
And the excitement of people in the Chinese trade about the potential size of the lure fishing market was echoed by a celebratory lure fishing tournament held during the show.
The tournament featured anglers from around the globe, including China, Korea, Holland, England and the Czech Republic.
Li Jiang continued: “Lure fishing is starting to become popular in mainland China. Media across China gathered in Weihai and the competition was in the spotlight. Most Chinese competitors said that they had never seen so many international anglers competing among them. It’s a two-hour competition and the awards were given according to the total weight of fish caught and the heaviest fish, with no restrictions on species caught.”
Other exhibitors and visitors to the show were also optimistic about the likelihood of lure fishing growing in China, as Ma Jun of Anhui Wilma Fishing Tackle outlines: “I’m very positive about the future of the lure fishing market. In Japan and Korea, lure fishing surpassed traditional fishing in two to three years. I’m convinced that it will soon be popular in China too.”
Another reason for CGC to celebrate was the success had by its first two overseas exhibitors – Eagle Claw from the US and RG France.
“Our company plans to enter the Chinese market for it is simply huge. I think this is the first logical step that we can take to promote our hooks to the Asian market,” explained Eagle Claw’s Matthew Wilson.
“It is great to see so many people and buyers here at the CGC Expo. Although our market share is quite small in China, it is also important for us to meet more Chinese and others here so they acknowledge our brand.”
The show and its organisers, including Li Jiang, now have 12 months to reflect and build on the snowball that they have created. Surely 2010 will offer another successful event with even bigger visitor and exhibitor numbers.

CGC Expo in numbers

*Trade visitors total: 1,483. (32.6 per cent international and 67.4 per cent domestic.)

*Number of exhibitors happy with the show in post-event survey: 90 per cent.

*252 exhibitors ( a 47 per cent increase on 2008).

*483 international buyers (107 per cent increase on 2008)

*1,000 domestic buyers (233 per cent increase on 2008)

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