How a Ukrainian Company Succeeded During the Most Challenging Period in Its History
IBIS – owner of the fishing brands Select, Brain, Favorite and X Fish – not only survived but continued to grow during the devastating conflict in Ukraine. Its Executive Director, Yevhen Sheiko (pictured), spoke to Angling International about how this was achieved.
How did IBIS navigate the turbulent war years?
YS: IBIS went through one of the most difficult periods in its history – yet also one of the most transformative. Although the fishing tackle market contracted by around 40% since the start of the war, IBIS managed to maintain its pre-war turnover in US dollar terms and continue growing in key business areas.
While many Ukrainian private labels shifted almost entirely towards Eastern Europe, IBIS remained deeply committed to the domestic market. At the same time, we expanded our product portfolio and developed new brands, including VIKING (ice fishing), mass-market and DIY retail brands, FRONTIER (apparel), and SKIF (outdoor equipment and knives).
A major achievement was the expansion of our R&D capabilities. Our product development team grew from five people in 2021 to 21 specialists today, managing up to 70 projects per year and launching approximately 900 SKUs annually, compared to around 500 before the war.
How did IBIS respond to these challenges?
IBIS chose to increase investment in product development, treating sourcing and manufacturing as an integral part of R&D.
In 2025, the company launched a fishing line programme in partnership with YGK and a major fluorocarbon project with Kureha (manufacturer of Seaguar), combining Japanese material science with market-driven product development.
At the same time, IBIS began developing a domestic production cluster in Ukraine, cooperating with local lure and tackle manufacturers and, in some cases, acquiring them. This strategy improves resilience, reduces reliance on long supply chains, and positions Ukraine as part of the European manufacturing ecosystem.
IBIS also works closely with Ukrainian rod manufacturers, widely recognised among the best in the world. Today, most design, development and prototyping is carried out in Ukraine, while large-scale final assembly takes place in Asia. This hybrid model significantly accelerates development and strengthens IBIS’s OEM and private label capabilities.
What role does Poland play for IBIS?
Poland plays a strategic role in IBIS’s international structure. While most back-office and product development functions remain in Ukraine, the Polish team now consists of around 40 employees supporting both fishing tackle and other divisions.
In the fishing segment alone, IBIS finished the year working with 473 retail partners in Poland under a strict B2B model, with no plans to develop its own retail network.
In 2025, IBIS began construction of a 5,800 sq m warehouse and office complex near Łódź, designed to serve the Polish market and support export partners across Europe.
In July 2025, IBIS also hosted its annual distributor meeting in Warsaw, bringing together key partners from more than 20 countries. During the event, the product development roadmap through to 2026 was presented, and feedback directly influenced products now in production.
Today, IBIS products are distributed in more than 40 countries across six continents.
Are you confident about the future?
Yes – with cautious and conscious optimism.
IBIS enters 2026 with a strong pipeline of products already in development, production or delivery. There is growing hope for peace in Ukraine, which would provide a powerful boost not only to the market but also to people’s ability to plan, rebuild stability and invest in the future.
Beyond Ukraine, we see significant opportunities for further expansion in Poland and across Europe, supported by stronger infrastructure, closer partnerships, and expanded manufacturing and OEM capabilities.
Finally, I would like to thank all our partners – distributors, suppliers, employees – and everyone who has supported IBIS and Ukraine throughout the war. That support has been invaluable and has enabled not only stability but continued growth.
We firmly believe that Ukraine represents the future of European manufacturing. With rapidly advancing engineering capabilities and defence-related technologies, the country is becoming a production hub that will increasingly complement – and in some areas replace – traditional Asian manufacturing.
IBIS is open to OEM cooperation, product design and manufacturing partnerships, and ambitious projects in global markets.
The Fastest-Growing Segment Becomes Strategically Critical
The apparel and outdoor segment has become one of the fastest-growing and strategically most important areas within the IBIS Group.
“Over the years, we have strengthened our positions across several categories – firearms, fishing tackle, outdoor goods, as well as apparel and footwear,” explains Yevhen Sheiko, Executive Director of IBIS Group. “Consistent performance in these areas, combined with operational transparency and positive feedback from international partners, has shaped the group’s reputation as a reliable, professional and long-term focused distributor.”
Operating in Ukraine during wartime has also influenced the company’s development path. Beyond commercial growth, IBIS was directly involved in projects to manufacture protective clothing for emergency and professional services, working closely with experts and textile laboratories both in Ukraine and internationally.
The company’s apparel range now includes several strategically important directions.
Grundéns was selected as the core fishing apparel brand. “Our relationship began at ICAST 2024 and developed further through several visits to Grundéns’ headquarters in Sweden, where both teams worked closely on assortment selection, positioning and long-term cooperation,” said Sheiko. The first shipment arrived at the end of 2025 and is already available.
Alongside international brands, IBIS continues expanding its own apparel labels. A turning point came when IBIS received an official request to develop protective suits for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES), the first responders to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
“IBIS made a conscious decision to take on this responsibility and launched a full-scale development process,” Sheiko explains. “We worked with numerous laboratories, sourced materials worldwide, and gradually built a fully staffed in-house technical apparel team. This experience fundamentally transformed our competencies and led to the creation of our first fully specialised apparel product.”
This project became the foundation for FRONTIER, a Ukrainian brand focused on uncompromising functionality, durability and performance within a civilian aesthetic. Originally developed for Ukraine, FRONTIER is positioned as a long-term project with future potential in European markets.
In footwear, IBIS has strengthened its position through cooperation with Salomon. The company is now one of the key and largest partners of Salomon Forces, the brand’s specialised tactical footwear line, supplying both professional users and institutional clients.
Expanding Our Distribution Network
We continue to expand our distribution network across Ireland and Europe and welcome new retail partners to join us. Through our B2B portal, you will find both our own brands and a carefully selected portfolio of distributed brands, supported by reliable logistics and competitive trade pricing. We consistently review and expand our brand portfolio, focusing on proven products with strong market demand.
For the past two years, we have been the official Irish dealer for Keitech, one of the most respected soft lure manufacturers in the global fishing tackle industry. Alongside our in-house brands and strategic distribution partners, this enables us to offer retailers a commercially balanced and competitive assortment across multiple price segments.
If you are looking to strengthen your fishing tackle range with dependable supply, structured B2B support and long-term partnership, we would be pleased to work with you.