Palmerston North City Council and the Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) are excited to announce that Australian Defence Apparel (ADA) will be establishing their New Zealand headquarters in Palmerston North following the award of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Wearables Supply and Managed Services contract.
ADA and its parent company, Logistik Unicorp, are leaders in the design, manufacture, and supply of military wearables with 100 years of defence manufacturing and supply experience in Australia.
The strategic move to Palmerston North was a collaborative effort in partnership with ADA, Palmerston North City Council and CEDA to create employment opportunities creating sixteen new jobs without comprising positions in the nine NZDF retail stores.
Coupled with employment, the relocation brings a unique set of opportunities for businesses within the region and will be located within the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub and home of New Zealand’s well established and reputable military capital, here in Manawatū.
Palmerston North and Manawatū has the greatest defence population of all areas with 3600 military personnel living in the region and future planned growth with approximately 200 staff relocating to Ohakea from Whenuapai with the purchase of the Poseidon aircraft.
ADA will bring to the NZDF the latest in research, development and design technology and an ideology to deliver innovative integrated Wearables designed for its personnel. ADA will also bring state of art warehouse technology to Palmerston North offering unparalleled agility to the supply chain.
The city is delighted with ADA’s decision to locate their New Zealand headquarters to Palmerston North says Mayor Grant Smith.
“ADA have recognised the value of locating in the city’s Central NZ Distribution Hub, that provides stress-free access to adjoining inter-modal freight options of road, air and rail. Our central location offers efficiencies in distribution and access to a talented workforce and local businesses that can support ADA’s technology and personnel needs.
As the ‘Defence Capital’ of New Zealand, we have over 7000 service personnel, civilians and families connected to the Defence sector in our city with numbers regularly increasing with other investment in our local defence bases – Linton and Ohakea. Also located within two hours of the city are Waiouru and Trentham camps – giving ADA a close location to the majority of their customers”, says Smith.
CEDA welcomes ADA New Zealand to Palmerston North and the economic activity and business opportunity that will come with it, particularly as we regain and grow from COVID-19.
“We’re thrilled to be announced as the new home for ADA New Zealand and the NZDF Wearables contract, which reinforces Manawatu’s strength as a distribution and logistics hub, and home of Defence in Aotearoa”, says CEDA’s Business Development Manager Nats Subramanian.
The specialist apparel company will partner with New Zealand based academia to stay at the forefront of developments and are committed to establishing the Palmerston North headquarters as a global centre of excellence for military wearables.
ADA will also provide opportunities for New Zealand based suppliers to provide goods to their Australian and Canadian based operations, offering local manufacturers and suppliers connectivity to a global military market.
“We are incredibly proud to be awarded this prestigious contract and are looking forward to forming strong alliances with local businesses in New Zealand to support the wearables contract”, says Chris Dixon, CEO of ADA.
ADA will initially operate out of an interim facility in Palmerston North from November this year, with the new warehouse to be complete in November 2022.
For more information:
[email protected]
06 350 1830
