Login
iscover
ADA will establish its New Zealand headquarters in Palmerston North, after the New Zealand Defence Force awarded it the Wearables Supply and Managed Services contract.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
The strategic move has created 16 new jobs without comprising positions in the nine NZDF retail stores following a collaborative effort in partnership with ADA, Palmerston North City Council and CEDA to create employment opportunities.
ADA and its parent company, Logistik Unicorp, have designed, manufactured and supplied military wearables for over 100 years in Australia.
Located within the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub, the new partnership brings a unique set of opportunities for businesses within the region, the home of New Zealand’s well established military capital, in Manawatū.
According to Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith, the city is delighted with ADA’s decision to locate their New Zealand headquarters to the region.
"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," Smith said.
"As the ‘Defence Capital’ of New Zealand, we have over 7,000 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."
According to Nats Subramanian, business development manager at CEDA, the economic activity and business opportunity is welcome as the region recovers 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,” Subramanian added.
The specialist apparel company aims to establish the Palmerston North headquarters as 'a global centre of excellence for military wearables', according to Chris Dixon, CEO of ADA.
“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," Dixon said.
"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."
ADA plans to partner with New Zealand based academia to stay at the forefront of developments, aiming to 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.
[Austal wins new US Navy contracts]
