At the Kenai Peninsula Industry Appreciation Day last Saturday NOMAR received recognition as the Outstanding Commercial Fishing Industry Support Business. NOMAR was nominated for the award by UCIDA, the United Cook Inlet Drift Association.
Industry Appreciation Day is hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough and is an annual celebration of oil and gas, commercial fishing, tourism and health care in the Borough and is designed to thank what the industries contribute to the borough. The event took place on Kenai’s Softball parkstrip and provided free food, games, and recognized “outstanding” businesses and individuals. 2026 is the 33rd year of the event, according to a talk conducted with Peter A. Micciche, Dana Canava and Timothy Navarre on Radio Kenai.
In a 2025 article published in the Peninsula Clarion, reporter Jake Dye noted that Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said while hosting the award ceremony, that the event is important because the industries being recognized drive the Kenai Peninsula’s economy. He pointed to ongoing closures of commercial setnetters and an attempt to create a borough-wide bed tax as evidence that people need to “defend these industries.”
“We’re recognizing these folks because they literally provide an economy for the Kenai Peninsula Borough that would look nothing like it looks without these industries,” he said. “We need to fight for all of them.”
NOMAR provided a brief history of their company to nominator UCIDA for background information and shared the details with KBBI. NOMAR started in a school bus in Homer in 1978 as Mitchell’s Marine Canvas and eventually, in 1982, Homer fishermen reached out to Mitchell’s to construct a better quality brailer bag. “It took a few tries, a few years and a whole lot of dedication but the tight mesh brailer bag was the answer. Easy to use, easy to lift and easy on the salmon: “no-marka da fish” is how NOMAR got its name. NOMAR has stayed in business by producing what fishermen need and by being open to new ideas that have helped the industry grow, according to Jennifer Hakala’s notes to UCIDA.
“...that turned into net bags. Skate bottoms, bait bags for the crab fishery and pot fisheries, pot cod. We make 1000s of those now. Knife sheets for deck knives, belt deck belts, salmon slides on the gillnetters. So many different things,” Hakala said.
In addition to fisheries gear, NOMAR also offers an array of clothing and luggage. The Kenai Peninsula’s politician Sarah Vance presented the Fishing Industry Support Business award to NOMAR at the event on Saturday.
Reporting from Homer, this is Emilie Springer.
