History
Fish Designs was founded in 1991, by Neil and Terry Stallard, as a small, subsidiary supplier of tropical fish to Amatikulu Hatchery (the largest producer and exporter of ornamental fish in South Africa at the time). Neil was employed as a manager there for five and a half years and, as a director, for one and a half years. Neil left the hatchery in 1996 to grow Fish Designs further.
Neil's expertise was founded on a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Zoology and Microbiology, at Rhodes University in 1985; and 18 months employment at the Institute of Icthyology, focusing on general fish biology. He worked for the South African Navy, serving two years of National Service between 1987-1989, where he was placed in charge of Nature Conservation at the Saldhana naval base. This provided him with efficient research and management skills which benefited the training of Fish Designs staff.
In 1989, Terry completed one year at Rhodes University in journalism, after travelling for two years in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom, where she completed a public relations course at Harvard University. She played an instrumental part in setting up the customer base among pet shops in KwaZulu-Natal. Due to family commitments, additional administrative and customer sales staff were employed, whilst Terry retained an active role in decision-making and training of staff in the role of public relations and customer service. In 2009, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Science with the University of South Africa. Her current role entails the creation of a new logo, marketing strategy and development of the company's website with social media, whilst offering external consulting services.
Fish Designs was initially established on a rented property, nestled among sugar cane farms, near Mtunzini, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast. The primary mode of operation was importing fish to supply the retail market. In 2001, a one hectare plot in the Gingindlovu/Fairbreeze area was purchased with the aim of creating a breeding, grow-out unit. The property was in a huge state of neglect and it took a number of years to remove rubbish, alien trees and refurbish buildings. Management of the business was time-consuming with the two different farms being 20 kms apart.
In keeping with the family support, Neil's parents, Andrew and Bobbie Stallard, developed an active delivery network in the Durban market. In 2008, a delivery van and driver complimented the team. Personal service and quality fish have been the core ethos of Fish Designs, with the result of a growing market among retail outlets in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape provinces and a wholesaler in Pretoria, Gauteng province. Exports have been facilitated to Namibia and Zambia.
Administration is supported by a Finance Manager and Customer Sales/Service agent who performs a gatekeeping function between the team of nine fish workers, the owners and customers. Fish workers derive from the surrounding rural communities of Dokodweni, Mvutshini and Obanjeni and had no prior knowledge of fish husbandry skills. Training and mentoring took years of relationship building to the point that employees can successfully carry out feeding, diagnosis of certain diseases, water quality management, harvesting and packing.
In 2009, a pivotal change took place when the Willow Hill farm was sold. A delicate and challenging process took place over nine months to develop infrastructure on the Gingindlovu/Fairbreeze property. The import, packing and administration facilities were moved, concurrent with servicing the weekly sales. This feat could not have been accomplished without extra hard work (of which there was plenty) from all the staff and the understanding of long-term customers.
Since 2010, Fish Designs has operated from its own premises and successfully adjusted to new systems in delivery schedules with increased breeding facilities.
