Kayak Manufacturer Increasing Worldwide Market Share

Fluid Kayaks is one of the top international kayak brands and is represented on all the continents. The company was built up to an established reputable and respected business over eight years, but funds are required to take it up to the next level.

Fluid Kayaks designs, manufactures and distributes a range of more than 20 kayak models, including both recreational sit-on-top kayaks and whitewater kayaks.

Today Fluid Kayaks is the both the top sit-on-top and whitewater kayak brand in South Africa, with some 90% of the whitewater kayak market and an estimated 60% of the sit-on-top market.

Internationally Fluid counts under the top 5 whitewater brands.

Due to the high cost of exporting the sit-on-tops, we have set up Fluid Kayaks North America in 2010 with the help of our North American distributor. From 2011 Fluid Kayaks South Africa will earn royalties from the manufacturing and sales of our sit-on-top range in the USA, which will also be exported to our European distributor.

Because of the high entry cost barrier, the likelihood of competitive brands entering the market is very slim, and often new entrants don't make it through the first few years. In our case the shareholders have already invested substantially and are all committed to the company's future.

We have been working with distributors in the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan for many years now, who are all dedicated to the Fluid Kayaks brand and have made substantial investements in the brand themselves.

The fact that the company managed to stay afloat during the recent tumultuous economic times speaks for the potential of this initiative.

The company has also recently acquired the license for a MAUS Mould Coating facility, one of only three such licenses outside Germany. The MAUS mould coating technique was developed in Germany specifically to coat moulds for rotomoulding purposes, and will save costs in the long run. Aside from the benefits for the production process, this will also double up as a new income stream in future.

The company has reached a point where we need to increase our international sales volume dramatically, especially with the new venture to manufacture and sell our sit-on-tops directly in the USA. The company needs assistance to enable it to maintain the aggressive growth strategy to really start tapping into the massive international recreational kayak market.
Management Team:
Heading the team is Celliers Kruger, founder of Fluid Kayaks and internationally reknowned kayak designer. He is a mechanical engineer with a passion for design and paddling, and started Fluid eight years ago to combine his two big passions in life.

His designs are always well received on international exhibitions as well as by the loyal following of Fluid fans.

Celliers is the managing director and heads the research and development department, the production facility as well as the marketing department.

Celliers is assisted in the production facility by Pierre van Niekerk, also a qualified mechanical engineer.

The financial manager is Marinus Coetzee, a registered CA(SA).

The total staff adds up to 20 permanent employees, which is sometimes increased to 40 depending on seasonal demand.

In the USA the distributor is Marc Tohir, president of Priority Worldwide Services and of Fluid Kayaks North America, while the European distributor is Erik Rovekamp of Rokx AT.

Contact us on Merar if you are interested investor.