Polysteel Atlantic Ltd.

Everyday, throughout Nova Scotia, hundreds of small businesses contribute to the local economy out of the glare of public attention. They are not the recipients of government largesse or a platform for political announcements. Yet together, they employ thousands of Nova Scotians who toil loyally, raise their families and are active in communities across the province. 

Polysteel Atlantic is one of these companies - a manufacturer of rope for the commercial fishing industry and synthetic concrete reinforcing fibre, with production capabilities in excess of 6,000,000 lbs per year.
 
In 1993, East Coast Rope Limited was incorporated and acquired the assets of the former Scotia Ropes operation located in North Sydney. The business experienced steady growth over the next few years until 1996 when capacity became an issue. In early 1997, in order to continue providing the exceptional service and delivery time standards they had become known for, additional capacity was required. A sister company, Polysteel Atlantic Limited was formed in 1997 and a new facility and equipment were acquired.
 
Located in Sydport, a small but vibrant industrial park near Sydney, Polysteel Atlantic has expanded their markets and developed new products. With a strong presence in both the aquaculture and commercial fishing industries, Polysteel Atlantic carries ropes with such registered trade names as Polysteel, Esterpro, Hydropro and Polysteel Plus Leaded, including the uniquely designed leaded rope known as “SCR” - a rope that has greatly reducing gear preparation time in the east coast crab fishery.  
 
Polysteel rope is made from filaments, which are extruded on a state-of-the art computerized production line that monitors all aspects of the manufacturing process. Compared to traditional polypropylene rope, Polysteel has almost twice the strength, less stretch, a higher abrasion resistance, extremely high UV resistance, and is considered to have the lowest cost per pound of tensile strength of any synthetic rope. The ability to custom-make rope for specific applications and geographic areas is also a reason for the company’s growing popularity in the various industries it serves.
 
Hydropro is Polysteel’s latest innovation and it demonstrates the company’s vision and commitment to environmental responsibility. Designed for commercial fishermen affected by issues related to the right whale in New England and Atlantic Canada, it is designed to have a specific gravity similar to that of water, thus reducing exposure of the rope to the sea floor while at the same time minimizing the risk of whale entanglement.
 
Sean Burke, a native of Liverpool on the province’s south coast, is Polysteel’s general manager. He is a quintessential optimist about his company’s future and the future of the cluster of small industries that occupy Sydport.
 
“We have competition from companies overseas but we provide a quality product and exceptional customer service.” he says. “Our customers recognize that our products are one of the leaders in the marketplace in terms of consistency, quality and durability and that we stand behind what we sell.”
 
A proud entrepreneur and manager, Burke is quick to point out that much of his company’s success can be attributed to the workforce.
 
“We are very fortunate,” he says, “to have loyal, dedicated, skilled staff that exude real pride in our finished product.” Many of the employees have been with the company from the beginning and it is apparent when one walks through the plant that they are highly motivated and productive.
 
Creativity and innovation are built into the culture of this company. Burke speaks with obvious pride of the unique “twist” to the ropes. One rope is designed specifically for certain areas with different currents; another is to withstand the abrasive nature of the rocky ocean floor in other areas.
 
Polysteel also enjoys a unique partnership with Dalhousie University as part of the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) – a fund that helps Atlantic Canadians compete in a global knowledge-based economy through the development of new ideas, products, businesses and markets. The partnership is a four-and-a-half million dollar project extended over four years and focusing on Polysteel’s other product – synthetic concrete reinforcing fibre – a lesser known product sold internationally through distributors.
 
“We do have our challenges,” admits Burke, “especially in terms of shipping to the West coast, the Southern US and Europe because of the higher cost and transit times but we have managed to counter these with higher quality and consistent performance and the result has been many satisfied customers and users.
 
“Polysteel is the strongest synthetic rope in its class because of our extremely tight tolerances from fiber extrusion to the finished rope. The result is a rope of unsurpassed quality and consistency. It’s these unique characteristics that make it a hands-down choice for an industry that demands a highly superior product,” says Burke.
Sean Burke hails from Liverpool but his conversation is sprinkled with superlatives of living and doing business in Cape Breton.
 
“This province, and this part of it in particular, offers a wonderful balance of work and play,” says Burke. “I made a choice to live here, to work with others on coordinated projects and to raise a family. It’s a relaxing lifestyle, there are countless recreation activities and the cost of living is more affordable. Add to that the excellent opportunities in terms of business and one can easily see the quality of life we have in Nova Scotia.”