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Norsewear have been making the finest woollen socks, gloves and beanies for outdoor people, right here in New Zealand for over 60 years.
Our factory in Norsewood (pop. about 150), at the foot of the Ruahine ranges in Southern Hawkes Bay, is a vital part of our local community. Right from the start, our people and our location have shaped our approach to the design and manufacture of our products.
We now have better technology and machines than we did in the 60’s, which means we can design and make better products. But our approach remains the same. We’re still committed to manufacturing in New Zealand using the finest Merino wool and other natural fibres. Compromising quality is still out of the question. And at our heart we’re still a people company – our success is based on the commitment of our staff, many of whom have worked with us for their whole careers.
Early 1960’s
Ola Rian, a Norwegian army captain falls in love with NZ during an extended skiing holiday and wins two ski jump titles before returning home and meeting his Kiwi wife Shirley, who was on her ‘big OE’ in Norway.
1963
Returning to New Zealand, Ola and Shirley begin Norsewear as a ‘side hustle’ in the front room of their house in Johnsonville, Wellington. Starting with the manufacture of Scandinavian style ski hats and socks made with New Zealand wool, the now iconic ‘Farm Fleck’ sock was born. The comfort and rugged performance of the ‘Farm Fleck’ has seen this sock in continuous production ever since, creating a benchmark for quality that continues today.
1967
Ola (who by now was the acting Consul General of Norway), was invited to a Scandinavian festival in Norsewood, a small village in Central Hawkes Bay, originally settled by Norwegians in 1872. Spotting an empty general store and a disused dairy factory, and attracted by the proximity of the mountains, he moved his family and began manufacturing Norsewear products in Norsewood, where the factory remains to this day.
1971
Sir Edmund Hillary chooses an over the calf version of Norsewear Farm Fleck socks to complete a grand traverse of Aoraki/Mt Cook.
1972
Chris Wormersley, competing for NZ at the 1972 Winter Olympics, wears Norsewear jerseys, socks, gloves and beanies.
1978
Norsewear becomes both a domestic and export leader based on the production of high-quality NZ woollen clothing, winning export awards and developing markets in Australia, USA, Japan and Canada.
1980’s
Norsewear becomes the first NZ knitter to blend the advantages of wool with the latest synthetics launching the dual layer Ruahine, with a 100% wool outer and a Goretex wind stopper lining.
1997
Norsewear becomes the first commercial knitter in NZ to process organically grown wool, launching ‘Biowool’ beanies, gloves socks and jerseys.
2000
Norsewear launches a range of lightweight dual-layer 100% Merino tops used by NZ mountaineers in some of the remotest and highest mountains in the world from Alaska’s Mt Denali to Nepals Mt Everest and Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro.
2003
After 40 years of sock making, Norsewear imports new machinery from Italy, sends Kiwi technicians offshore for specialist training and develops a completely new range of technical socks, including the world’s first technical Possum/Merino Ski and Hiking socks. Norsewear socks become standard issue at Scott Base in Antarctica as well as for New Zealand’s Emergency Services personnel.
2007
During the early 2000’s much of NZ’s textile industry moved offshore as cheaper imports flooded the local market. Norsewear stayed, remaining committed to Norsewood and NZ manufacturing. In 2007, under increasing economic pressure, the company was forced to restructure, raising money by selling the factory building, factory shop and the Norsewear brand. Many thought Norsewear was over, underestimating the grit and resilience of the local Norsewood community.
With the support of some local investors, a group of incredibly determined Norsewear staff bought the stock and machines, rented the factory building and paid a royalty back to the new Brand owner. Working together, they refocussed on making the best socks, gloves and beanies money can buy and Norsewear continued. Without these staff (some who are still with Norsewear today) and the support of our landlord and factory shop owner, Norsewear would not have survived.
2013 - 2020
Norsewear continues to invest in both R&D and the latest Italian sock knitting machines making Norsewear socks, gloves and beanies and growing its capability as a leading manufacturer of Merino and Possum/Merino socks for other New Zealand brands.
2023
Sixty years after it began, and 16 years after the brand was sold the Norsewear business and Norsewear brand are bought by a New Zealand family with a passion for wool, a commitment to local manufacturing, and an unwavering belief that New Zealand can grow goodness and wealth for our local rural communities by taking Norsewear to the world.