The New Zealand textiles industry is made up of four contributing sectors:  textiles, carpet, footwear, apparel. Together, they comprise the whole textiles industry, in the same way that the meat, dairy, horticulture and seafood sectors are part of the food and beverage industry.

Our industry all starts with a fibre or a raw material, our specialist knowledge and our New Zealandness   …   regardless of what happens afterwards, that’s what weaves our contributing sectors into one textiles industry. 

Each sector has its own specialist issues and challenges. Some Textiles New Zealand programmes will be sector-specific, because that makes good commercial sense.

In addition, our challenge is to recognise and deal with the common issues   …  creating a sustainable business, keeping skills and attracting new talent, expanding into new international markets, contemplating an international approach to servicing customers, maintaining science skills and leveraging off the New Zealand brand.

These strands knit us together, give us strength and the ability to grow by taking on the international marketplace together, not alone.  New Zealand  …  New thinking.