Are you wearing a shirt that says ‘Made in New Zealand' on the label? If so, you'll be in the minority. Most New Zealand manufacturers can't compete with the Asian behemoths but there is a business right here in Nelson providing quality clothing to the ethical niche market and boutique retail stores.
MW Clothing Ltd in Bridge Street has been manufacturing for 13 years and is run by business partners Mike Stevenson and Fay Jones.
It originally operated as Martha Washington Manufacturing before the previous owners, somewhat ironically, decided to have their manufacturing done in China. Mike and Fay saw the opportunity to be their own bosses, and took on the 10 staff and 20 machines (now 30 staff and 60 machines).
"When we first started, we thought we only had a few years unless we changed the direction of the company. There were [import] tariffs and then the government removed most of those between New Zealand and China and it made it harder for us. We had to find businesses that were committed to selling New Zealand made."
Mike is talking about rare companies like Earth Sea Sky and Cactus Climbing, but for most, the bottom dollar is everything.
So how does a clothing manufacturer survive in New Zealand? Not easily. There are only two or three of comparable size in the South Island but MW Clothing's strength lies in its versatility as from one week to the next, the orders can change radically. From rugby shirts for the region's teams to fashion merino, Nelmac uniforms and retro-chic dresses for Nelson's Vintage Heaven. Two thousand units a week is about the limit, and the ideal, if they can get it.
Although the business can provide a faster turnaround than any Asian competitor, once the orders get too big (as little as 500 sometimes) they can lose the customer to China. Mike is optimistic that change is ahead.
"China would rather make garments for America and Europe where the runs are bigger and little runs from New Zealand are getting pushed to the back and so they're starting to come back here."
Merino is the current 'it' fabric of our export industry and something MW Clothing works with regularly, but it's not kiwi through and through.
"The merino wool is sent to India to be made into yarn because there are no spinning mills here to do it. All the merino wool doesn't necessarily come from New Zealand either. It might come from Australia to be made into garments."
Each order requires staff training before it makes its way through a production line of cutting, sewing, examining, ironing and packing.
"You can't get good staff so we find it better to train our own. In general, around New Zealand most of the machinists are getting close to retirement age because they started at a time when the sewing industry was booming."
Mike and Fay struggled to find staff until they joined the government's Community Max scheme. Although there are a few that don't even last the first day, most find they like the work and no-one has left (except due to maternity leave) in the last couple of years.
Fay explains, "They think that anybody can sew but it's actually quite a skill, especially to the level we require."
Despite their strengths, the ripple effect of the Christchurch quake has made its presence felt. Seventy percent of the business' agents are in Christchurch selling to stalwarts like Ballantynes. Times are tough.
"We're really focused on four or five customers at the moment and four of them are in Christchurch and you can't put pressure on them for work when they're struggling themselves. Even without the earthquakes, the economy is still tight. Getting through this year is our priority, then we'll focus on the future."
Perhaps partly consoling, partly nerve-wracking is the fact that they're not the only ones in the industry feeling the heat.
"Every six months you hear of another factory going belly up. There's not many left which means the available manufacturing has been spread amongst fewer factories", Mike laughs, sounding relieved, "So fingers crossed...at least, that's been our theory for the last 12 years".
