What Tidal Marine does

Tidal Marine is a Canadian manufacturer of professional marine flotation products, operating as a brand of Northwest Plastics Ltd., a private corporation incorporated in 1973 and headquartered at a 40,000 sq ft ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. The company designs and produces rotationally-molded polyethylene buoys and EPS foam-filled dock floats for four primary customer segments: aquaculture operators (compensator and mooring buoys for fish and shellfish farming), ports and harbors (navigation and channel markers), private boat owners (Transport Canada-compliant mooring buoys), and dock and marina construction (dock flotation). Named customers include the Canadian Coast Guard, Port of Vancouver, and the US Department of Transportation.

The product portfolio spans 32 standard buoy and float styles across four categories: Navigation (TDL series including the TDL 2.6 PE offshore buoy), Aquaculture (CB series from CB 680 to CB 7300, plus the modular MCB 10K), Mooring (MB 45/61/76/133 in Standard and Hawser configurations), and Multipurpose (HB hazard buoys, OB oyster buoys), plus three dock float models (DFL 574, 710, 1200). Underlying technology centers on rotational molding of UV-stabilized polyethylene shells, a proprietary EPS foam fusion process refined over 20+ years, molded-in stainless steel inserts that prevent pull-through failures, and modular hull/tower/frame designs enabling on-site component replacement. Engineering analysis is supported by SolidWorks Simulation, Ansys Aqwa, and COMSOL Multiphysics for hydrodynamic and load-condition modeling. Product life expectancy is stated at 15+ years for buoys and 20+ years for dock floats.

Tidal Marine operates a sales-led go-to-market through direct sales (website contact forms and toll-free phone), a North American distributor and retailer network, and international shipping with products deployed across five oceans. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of buoys and dock floats, supplemented by professional services (custom buoy design and engineering, technical services covering installation, mooring design, site surveys, and remote monitoring), and managed-service-style leasing and rental arrangements. All products are quote-based with no public pricing. The company holds incumbency with the Canadian Coast Guard and is described as the standard among major Canadian aquaculture operators. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or public listing are disclosed.

Name

Tidal Marine

Legal name

Northwest Plastics Ltd.

Website

https://tidalmarine.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tidal Marine is a Canadian manufacturer of rotationally-molded polyethylene buoys and EPS foam-filled dock floats, serving aquaculture operators, ports and harbors, and private boat owners across North America and internationally since 1973.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Flotation Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Ballast Water, Bilge & Wastewater Treatment Systems (Environmental/Utility) (IMAJAIAJ)

Keywords

• Marine flotation products
• Navigation buoy manufacturing
• Rotational molding buoys
• Dock float production
• Aquaculture mooring buoys

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Coquitlam

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marine Buoy Sales: Sale of rotational molded polyethylene buoys including navigation, aquaculture, mooring, and multipurpose buoys. Products sold in standard sizes and custom configurations.
2. Dock Float Sales: Sale of EPS foam-filled dock floats in standard sizes (DFL 574, DFL 710, DFL 1200) for dock construction applications.
3. Technical Services: Project management, installation, site surveys, channel design, mooring design, product/systems integration, repair and troubleshooting, communications design and surveys, remote monitoring services.
4. Leasing and Rentals: Alternative to purchasing for projects where buying may not make sense. Leasing options include potential tax benefits, splitting costs into manageable payments, and regular equipment upgrades.
5. Custom Buoy Design and Manufacturing: Full product development service from concept to manufacture for custom buoys, floats, fenders, floating barriers, towers and structures to exact specifications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tidal Marine designs, engineers, and manufactures rotationally molded polyethylene marine flotation products — including navigation, aquaculture, mooring, and multipurpose buoys as well as dock floats — and complements these with custom buoy design, technical services, and leasing/rentals. Production is carried out at a 40,000 sq ft ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.

Product overview

Tidal Marine is a Canadian manufacturer of professional marine flotation products headquartered in Port Coquitlam, BC, with over 50 years of industry experience (incorporated 1973). The company operates as a product portfolio of buoys, dock floats, and supporting services. The buoy lineup spans four distinct sub-categories: Navigation buoys (TDL series channel markers including TDL 23, TDL 30, TDL 60, TDL 75, TDL 75-R, TDL 89 LE/BE, TDL 1500 pillar buoy, TDL 1.5 Coastal, and TDL 2.6 PE offshore buoy), Aquaculture buoys (CB series compensation buoys ranging from CB 680 to CB 7300, MCB 10K modular series, and OB 30 oyster buoys), Mooring buoys (MB 45, MB 61, MB 76, and MB 133 in Standard and Hawser configurations), and Multipurpose buoys (HB 40 and HB 94 hazard buoys). The Dock Float line (DFL series) includes DFL 574, DFL 710, and DFL 1200 models. Supporting services include Custom Buoy Design, Technical Services (project management, installation, mooring design), and Leasing & Rentals. The product family is unified by shared core technologies: UV stabilized rotationally molded polyethylene shells, EPS foam filling for virtually unsinkable platforms, and galvanized or stainless steel hardware. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification at its 40,000 sq ft manufacturing facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tidal Marine: Professional marine flotation products including buoys, floats, and custom marine solutions for navigation, aquaculture, mooring, and multipurpose applications.

Products and services

• TDL Series Navigation Buoys Engineered navigation buoys for marking channels, hazards, and restricted zones in ports, harbors, and waterways; designed for long-term deployment with rotationally molded polyethylene shells and EPS foam fill. Sold to port authorities, harbor masters, and waterway-safety agencies.
• CB Series Aquaculture Buoys Mooring and flotation buoys purpose-built for commercial aquaculture operations such as fish farms and shellfish sites, with custom sizing and mooring hardware options. Sold to aquaculture operators and farm owners.
• MB Series Mooring Buoys Mooring buoys designed for permanent and seasonal vessel mooring in protected and exposed sites; rotationally molded with foam core for reliability and theft/abrasion resistance. Sold to private boaters, yacht clubs, and small commercial operators.
• HB Series Multipurpose Buoys General-purpose marine buoys usable as swimming area markers, restricted-zone markers, or general marine floats; built from the same rotationally molded, foam-filled construction as the rest of the lineup.
• DFL Series Dock Floats Engineered dock flotation modules with rotationally molded polyethylene shells and EPS foam cores for new marina/dock construction and replacement of aging floats. Sold to marina and dock builders and waterfront property developers.
• Custom Buoy Design Service Bespoke buoy engineering and manufacturing for non-standard sizes, buoyancy ratings, mooring loads, or marine conditions, validated with SolidWorks Simulation, Ansys Aqwa, and COMSOL Multiphysics. Sold to commercial buyers with specialized deployment needs.
• Technical Services Engineering and technical support covering buoy specification, mooring hardware selection, and deployment guidance for commercial marine customers.
• Leasing and Rentals Rental and lease of Tidal Marine buoys and dock floats for short-term or seasonal deployment needs, allowing buyers to access the product line without capital purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buoys have been in service for over 25 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Markleen: Australian maker of oil spill containment booms and marine flotation — niche overlap with Tidal Marine's multipurpose buoys and floating barrier capabilities.
• Buoyage Solutions International: Specialty manufacturer of navigational and mooring buoys — narrower product range than Tidal Marine but overlaps in channel markers and aquaculture mooring buoys.

Broad incumbents

• Trelleborg Marine Systems: Large marine infrastructure supplier offering navigation buoys, fenders, and docking solutions — broader portfolio with overlap in port/harbor and aquaculture flotation categories.

Direct peers

• FenderCare Marine: UK-based marine fender and buoy supplier with service and rental capabilities — competes with Tidal Marine's leasing/rental mooring and navigation buoy offerings.
• Polyform AS: Norwegian rotational-molded plastic buoy and fender manufacturer — same rotomolding manufacturing approach as Tidal Marine, with overlap in mooring and multipurpose buoys.
• Sealite: Global manufacturer of marine navigation buoys, beacons, and lanterns — directly overlaps with Tidal Marine's TDL navigation and mooring buoy product lines for ports, harbors, and coast guards.
• Mobilis: French-based maker of marine fenders, buoys, and floating barriers — competes with Tidal Marine across navigation buoys, aquaculture floats, and dock flotation in international markets.

Regional players

• Caldwell Marine: US East Coast provider of marine construction and flotation products including navigation aids — regional alternative to Tidal Marine for ports and harbormasters.
• ICM (International Casting & Manufacturing): North American marine equipment manufacturer producing navigation buoys, channel markers, and flotation products — competes in the same North American port and aquaculture markets.

Others

• Rotomachinery Group: Specialist in rotational molding equipment and contract manufacturing — adjacent supplier whose rotomolding technology overlaps with Tidal Marine's core manufacturing process.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tidalfloats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tidalmarine

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tidal Marine