CoverEdge: From the Fields of the Kibbutz to the World
Product: Innovative Hay Netting Company: Tama Plastic Industry Ltd. Start of Development: 1989
The members of Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek understood already during the 1940s that their deep familiarity with agricultural work allowed them the ability to develop industry that would focus on providing solutions for this world.
In 1950 the kibbutz founded Tama Plastic Industry. The company gradually adopted the objective of improving farming productivity by developing innovative packing solutions. Acting out of kibbutz ideals, emphasis was placed on teamwork and expertise based on practical experience in the field.
In 1970, a partnership was established between Mishmar HaEmek and Kibbutz Gilad and, to this day, many of Tama’s employees and management are members of the two kibbutzim. Until the 1980s, the company developed a range of different products including twine for baling hay, shade nets and knitted pallet netting that it marketed both in Israel and abroad.
In 1989, Tama began commercial cooperation with the American agricultural giant John Deere. The joint endeavor of the companies’ engineers culminated in 2001 with the launch of a revolutionary netting named CoverEdge. The netting, which wraps the bales of hay while covering the edges, is still considered the most advanced product in the world in this field.
Tama’s hay nets caused a real revolution in the agricultural world – they provide significant protection from weather damage and prevent waste loss during transportation. The nets also enable continuous and ongoing work without malfunctions or the need to replace the spool of netting.
Tama has consistently marketed unique innovations and patents while developing and scrutinizing its products in the fields of the kibbutzim. It bases its branding strategy on the fact that its products are farm grown solutions.
Tama has become the central supplier of the world’s largest agricultural equipment manufacturers. Tama is estimated to hold over than 50 percent of the global Netwrap market while the remaining share is distributed between approximately 40
different manufacturers.
Tama has 16 subsidiary companies and employs 1600 workers, approximately half of them in Israel. The group’s sales in 2017 stood at approximately 1.9 billion shekels.
