Rural Hawke's Bay village buzzing over Norsewear winning Defence Force sock contract
Sock technician Terence Ahern.
Photo:
RNZ / Alexa Cook
A small rural village in Hawke's Bay is buzzing over its sock factory Norsewear winning a huge contract to make all of the New Zealand Defence Force's socks.
The Norsewood- based factory beat a number of serious international competitors to secure the deal - including a top tier American sock manufacturer that supplies the US Army.
Inside the Norsewear factory over 60 different machines sit in rows, whirring away busily making socks, hats and gloves.
Two brand new 'Lonati' machines from Italy are on the far side of the factory floor, a roll of khaki coloured merino yarn merrily spinning around as a sock begins to take shape. These machines, worth about $70,000 NZD each, are a key reason Norsewear's won a contract to supply socks to the NZDF.
"It's the way of the future. If you don't invest in the plant well then you end up going backwards.
"To be honest we wouldn't have kept up with demand with the army and that if we hadn't invested," said sock technician Terence Ahern.
One of two brand new 'Lonati' machines from Italy.
Photo:
RNZ / Alexa Cook
He's worked at Norsewear for 47 years, and has been through its many ups and downs - including two recieverships. But from this month the factory will make thousands of socks for the New Zealand Defence Force, Navy and Air Force, increasing manufacturing output by up to 10 percent.
Ahern told RNZ that securing this deal is a real highlight, as the socks were put to the test by hundreds of soldiers.
"They've been through rigorous testing and to win that over a few other companies is quite a feather in our cap here for Norsewear and the Norsewood village.
"We can go out and boast a bit that we achieved that," he said.
Norsewear has been operating for over 60 years and employs about 20 locals, which is a team member from about two thirds of local families.
"It's security for everyone here when you pick up a contract like that. It's great work going forward and knowing the knitting machines will be running," said Ahern.
The factory is one of the larger employers in the rural area and has hired two more locals to keep up with the workload, which site lead Sarena Montgomery is thrilled about.
Site lead Sarena Montgomery.
Photo:
RNZ / Alexa Cook
"It is a very big deal to win something like this, it just gives us the confidence that we are heading in the right direction.
"Talking to people outside the factory there is that sense of pride that Norsewear is doing well and it's really good for the community," she said.
The NZDF socks had previously been supplied by the US, but by using the Lonati machines, local manufacturing expertise and a high quality New Zealand merino wool, Norsewear out-performed every other company bidding for the contract.
"We've competed with what's arguably the best US sock manufacturer in the world, for arguably the most technically demanding socks that you ever have to make and we beat them based on performance.
"So that's been a huge confidence boost for the team and it proves you can be a world beater as a small NZ manufacturing company in the middle of regional NZ ... we can take on the world and win," said Norsewear owner Tim Deane.
Norsewear owner Tim Deane believes securing the NZDF contract will spotlight New Zealand's talented factories.
Photo:
Supplied / Norsewear
The NZDF socks cost less than those previously bought from the USA and the wool they are using can be traced back to the New Zealand farm it came from.
"That means the Kiwi military gets great socks, NZDF gets more flexibility on supply along with clarity of the whole supply chain and we buy more wool from New Zealand farmers to fulfil the contract," said Deane.
A variety of socks are being made for the NZDF to suit different climates, but Deane said they have similar features in that they can help with temperature control, to ward off bacteria and are odor resistant.
One of Norsewear's new hires as a result of the deal, is Jack Martin from Ormondville .
"It's good, good fun, good community. Everyone is friendly and super happy, very welcoming and a lot of fun.
"Generally the main job I have is making sure there are no faults in the socks, as it's quite often you can have a bit of simple error in the machines," he said.
New hire Jack Martin.
Photo:
RNZ / Alexa Cook
Over 60 machines line the factory floor making socks, hats and gloves, from the latest Italian Lonatis to the lovingly-kept hat machine that's been in action at Norsewear since 1970.
"This machine will keep ticking those over for hopefully the next 50 years. There are no electronics, completely mechanical it's just got a motor a couple of chains and a drum.
"It was here well and truly before I got here and was making hats, basically the same as what it's making today," said Ahern.
The Norsewear factory.
Photo:
RNZ / Alexa Cook
But it's the sock sector that Norsewear specialises in, churning out up to 10,000 pairs of socks every week from bed socks to dress socks, work socks and farm socks.
"So there's variety right through the factory. They design the socks on programmes on the computers and bring [that] in here, download it all and set it all up.
"Every sock has different feeders that give it its shape and pattern," said Montgomery.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter
curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Predator Free 2050 committed to 'professional' transition as it hands over years of work to DOC
A stoat caught on a monitoring camera in Miramar Peninsula. Photo: Supplied / Predator Free Wellington Predator Free 2050 says it's committed to a "professional and smooth transition", as it hands over its responsibilities to the Department of Conservation following news of its disestablishment. A Crown-owned company, Predator Free 2050 Limited was set up in 2016 after the government set the ambitious goal of removing mustelids, rats and possums nationwide by the year 2050. For nearly a decade it co-funded large-scale predator elimination projects and supported science to achieve this goal by providing funding, resources and expertise to predator removal projects around New Zealand. But its disestablishment was announced on Budget Day last month, and science director Dan Tompkins said the company would be handing over its 18 active contracts by mid-August. "We'll take our time, we want to make sure that nothing is lost, we're ensuring all our learnings and understanding and insights into the way we have been running to achieve the advances that we've made to date [are passed on]." It was yet to be decided whether jobs at Predator Free 2050 Limited would go, or be amalgamated into DOC. He said the company's disestablishment had "not really" come as a surprise. "We've been working for seven to eight years now, and what we've been doing is we've been building a national mission. "I think our work, alongside that of DOC and the PFNZ Trust, has been really successful. We've shown it can be done, we've developed lots of new tools available for the job, we've got some good research coming along in the background for future tools to make it even more achievable." Did Tompkins have faith that the predator-free-by-2050 goal was achievable? "Completely," he said. "Already I think it's totally achievable - it's just whether we can afford it ." Chief executive Rob Forlong said many projects had proven eradication was achievable, and lately it had been focussing on how to make them cheaper, through new tools and solutions that could be scaled up. "We're committed to delivering a professional and smooth transition of contractual responsibilities to the Department of Conservation. This includes sharing proven strategies, roadmaps and insights." Predator Free 2050 chief executive Rob Forlong. Photo: Susan Botting / LDR DOC's deputy director-general for public affairs, Sia Aston, said the agency was committed to honouring all existing contracts. It already had a large existing programme of predator-free work and would "absorb the cost of managing the company's projects and contracts within its baseline". The remaining Crown funds of $2.3 million that PF2050 Ltd was allocated would be transferred to DOC and continue to be invested in predator free projects and contracts to avoid disruption. DOC is currently consulting with the public on its predator free strategy, with submissions closing on 30 June. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
RNZ-Reid Research poll: Most New Zealanders don't think Trump's presidency been good for NZ
United States President Donald Trump. Photo: ANNA MONEYMAKER / Getty Images via AFP Just 8.9 percent of New Zealanders feel the second Donald Trump presidency has been good for New Zealand, according to the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll. Supporters of every political party in Parliament took a more negative view of the presidency than positive, though there are still many who are neutral on the man in the Oval Office. On a foreign policy front, Trump's second term has been dominated by the stop-start tariffs, as the US seeks to rebalance what it says has been an uneven trading playing field. New Zealand has not been immune from the tariffs , though whether they are as reciprocal as the White House says has been a source of frustration for the government. In the latest poll, 1008 respondents were asked: "US President Donald Trump has recently completed 100 days in office for his second term. How do you think his presidency has been for New Zealand?" In total, 44.4 percent of voters said the presidency had been bad for New Zealand, while 8.9 percent said it had been good. However, many do not have a view either way, with 35.8 saying they were neutral, while 10.9 percent said they did not know. Broken down to party allegiances, the gap between good and bad was even wider for Labour and Green supporters. Half of Labour voters said it had been bad, compared to 3.3 percent who said it was good. Almost 59 percent (58.7) of Green voters said bad, 4.8 percent said good. In April, Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on New Zealand goods , on top of existing tariffs. Officials swiftly worked to understand how the tariff was calculated, given New Zealand's rate is 1.9 percent. The government's response in the meantime has been to keep its head down, saying a trade war is in nobody's best interests. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the Trump presidency had not been good for small trading nations like New Zealand. "I think an international trade war between the US and China is bad for countries like New Zealand." Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it was partly why the Greens had put together an industrial strategy. "To show that with the international headwinds being what they are, and Donald Trump's punitive tariff measures, that we can take steps locally to build our own economic resilience so that we're not relying on international shareholders, which seems to be the strategy of this government," she said. While 13.6 percent of Te Pati Māori voters said Trump had been good for New Zealanders, those who said he had been bad and those who were neutral were relatively evenly split. While more supporters of government parties also said the presidency had been bad for New Zealand than good, the gaps were tighter, with many also staying neutral. Of National voters, 8.4 percent said it had been good, but more were slightly more neutral than negative. A quarter of ACT supporters were positive, but the remainder were also closely split between bad and neutral. While more New Zealand First voters said bad than good - 28 percent vs 22 percent - the majority take a neutral view. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The party is vowing to 'Make New Zealand First Again'. But leader Winston Peters is also the Foreign Affairs minister - and on this, he's also staying neutral. "I'm the foreign minister. I don't talk about other countries' politics, particularly when doing so might harm our country's trading interests," he said. The Prime Minister was also staying diplomatic. "Look, it's not for me to say. I'm just focused on what New Zealand needs to do to sail its boat in what are more turbulent waters, for sure, to make sure that we can realise all the great potential we have in this country. That's what we're focused on," Christopher Luxon said. This poll of 1008 people was conducted by Reid Research, using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between 23-30 May 2025 and has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The report is available here . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Fisher Funds to invest $300m in New Zealand businesses
Fisher Funds chief investment officer Ashley Gardyne. Photo: Supplied / Fisher Funds KiwiSaver provider Fisher Funds says it will invest up to a billion dollars over the next three to five years in private equity, such as unlisted businesses. It will add private equity to four of its KiwiSaver schemes. Chief investment officer Ashley Gardyne said it should improve the returns for those schemes, and would give investors access to growing businesses at a time when fewer were listing on stock markets. "There's also a broader benefit, as more people push into private markets, more money flows into the real economy and that has a positive impact on New Zealand business formation." He said about $300 million of the $1 billion could be invested in New Zealand businesses. There were about 1000 businesses in the likely target range of being worth $20m and $100m in this country, he said. Fisher Funds would be looking for stable businesses that had been around a long time, in areas of growth. "We'd like the management team to be involved and ultimately be investors alongside us." He said there were liquidity risks with private equity investments but KiwiSaver was a long-term savings vehicle, which aligned with the longer-term nature of private equity. "When you commit to buying a private business, you're often invested for five or seven years. You need to make sure it's only a portion of KiwiSaver funds. In Australia, up to 20 percent of super is in unlisted investments. We'll be starting at a much lower level." It would scale up to 10 percent over the next five years. The benefit for investors would be in higher returns, he said. "If you look at the balance of a 20-year-old, even an extra half-percent over the long term could potentially result in another $100,000 at retirement. Making small changes can have a significant benefit, long-term." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
