Big clothing company Pacific Brands has concentrated its New Zealand operations within Christchurch's "apparel hub" as it commits to a larger design team and keeping manufacturing onshore.
Pacific Brands Clothing New Zealand general manager, Mark Jordan ,said the company now had a stronger Canterbury focus and was looking to hire creative people.
New staff were being sought in the design and marketing areas to push brands such as Bonds and Jockey. Pacific Brands employed around 8000 staff globally.
Some of its best-known brands include Jockey, Bonds, Rio and Holeproof.
Two of Pacific Brands' most successful marketing campaigns – the Jockey campaign with All Black Dan Carter and the Liberty campaign had been Christchurch initiatives, using agency Harvey Cameron Advertising.
The New Zealand firm would look at both acquisitions and organic growth of existing clothing and home comfort brands, Jordan said.
Pacific Brands has four divisions: footwear, bedding, apparel and outer wear-sport.
"We're in the type of industry where new product development is important – putting new things in front of consumers."
Pacific Brands' share price closed untraded yesterday, and last traded at NZ357c near the top of a 12-month range of 245c to 365c.
Despite having gone through a period of expansion, the cashflow-based business was not at a point of needing extra capital, Jordan said.
In November 2006 Pacific Brands bought the bedware and merino business of Christchurch firm Arthur Ellis.
Last week it confirmed the purchase of Australasian workwear supplier Yakka Group, which has annual sales of around $300m and was bought for an estimated $A200m to $A250m ($NZ226m-$283.4m).
Within Christchurch the business was retaining its sock manufacturing base in Montreal Street, but had recently rebased its head office to Victoria Street, Jordan said.
Pacific Brands main head office was based in Melbourne, and other business units, including Bonds, based in Australia.
In New Zealand it also had a Palmerston North-based thermal underwear factory, and while most of its manufacturing was out of China "more than a quarter of the product is still locally made".
The company was always looking for acquisitions, Jordan said. "I think the good thing is they've been prepared to invest in the New Zealand market," he said.
