Regional consortium wins Olympic bid

NEW ZEALAND: A collaborative cluster of more thana dozen companies has been appointed the official apparel supplier for the New Zealand 2008 Olympic team.

Worth an estimated $500,000, the contract will see the group supply all non-competition wear for the New Zealand team competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The New Zealand contract, the first tendered for by the consortium collectively known as DesignTex, will see at least seven of the cluster's 16 brands supply garments to the as yet unnamed team. These include Swazi (which will supply all rainwear), fabric wholesale brand Levana (fabrics), Company Branding Shop and Classic Apparel (embellishments), Lindsay Royal (socks) and Peter Black (belts).

The uniforms will be unveiled in March.

DesignTex chief executive Andy Wynne said the cluster, formed to revitalise the textile, clothing and footwear industry in New Zealand's Kapiti/Horowhenua region, had known of the win for quite some time but had been forced to keep quiet until an official announcement could be made by the country's Associate Minister of Economic Development, Winnie Laban.

It was a huge achievement, South African-born Wynne said.

"The Kiwi people are very patriotic people and when we see the New Zealand team coming out in August 2008 wearing Olympic gear supplied by a small New Zealand region . . . it really is going to be a very proud day for the nation."

While an official announcement has yet to be made about the Australian tender it is understood Sportscraft has been working on developing the uniforms for some time.