Blog

Yarmouth, NS Canada- Owners of Nova Scotia Canada based rope and cordage manufacturer, Novatec Braids Ltd announced their acquisition of Custom Cordage LLC, this past December 2025.  Custom Cordage of Waldoboro, Maine, has operated as a manufacturer of braided fiber ropes and twines since 1998, serving multiple markets with quality American made products.

The current Custom Cordage facility will produce and supply ropes to existing clients along with an expanded catalog of domestically built Novabraid constructions. Though separated by the Bay of Fundy, Custom Cordage and Novatec Braids have a long history supporting commercial fishing customers on both side of our border. They share numerous business philosophies, selling quality North American made cordage to supply wholesale distribution, OEM, industrial, commercial and recreational marine markets using best practices, worker friendly conditions, and a commitment to customer satisfaction. David Cook and his team of very experienced associates will continue to manage the USA operations.

“We’ve been discussing how Novatec might best expand its US market with a warehouse and production location in the States,” says Neal Prescott, Managing Director of Novatec Braids, LTD. “Custom Cordage’s ownership group was hoping to find a partner to help them with a sunset strategy to keep manufacturing in Maine.  Dave and I have talked about a relationship for quite some time and with the addition of a home base in New England for domestic manufacturing, Novatec can expand its scope of offerings to a wider range of industries and rope users.”

Novatec Braids Ltd, maker of Novabraid brand ropes, is headquartered on the waterfront in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Canada and makes a wide range of braided ropes to serve commercial fishing, recreational marine, equestrian, industrial, utility, military and tower markets. Founded in 1992, Novatec Braids operates an ISO 9001 certified manufacturing facility and was recognized by the National Marine Manufacturing Association as an Employer of Choice in 2023.  For more information contact performance@novabraid.com or visit www.novabraid.com

Novabraid SSL 2.0 Breakaway Link was found to have superior performance to other low break strength rope alternatives by a team of scientists and lobster fishermen headed by marine scientist Amy Knowlton of the New England Aquarium and the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life as part of a larger study conducted to create protection for the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. After months of rigorous testing on the water and in the laboratory, the Novabraid SSL 2.0 consistently worked as designed to help reduce the damage caused by vertical ropes used in lobster fishing when encountered by a larger marine mammal.  Based upon a constrictor design, similar to that in a toy finger trap, the breakaway link is inserted at intervals in the vertical line of a trawl of lobster traps, enabling a whale or other large creature to break free if entangled in the fishing line, thus reducing the likelihood of injury or death to the animal.  The links have a lighter breaking strength than the heavy duty 3 strand ropes used for hauling lobster pots, but still carry sufficient strength and durability to allow the fishermen to protect their gear with a low cost of implementation of the breakaway links.

Further studies and discussion by the Whale Bycatch Reduction Team and other agencies are scheduled to follow with other topics ranging from fisheries closures to rope-less fishing options.