Jobs saved for a third of workers

By DITA DE BONI

Bendon Group confirmed yesterday that it had bought the Tauranga-based Expozay swimwear brand and current stock from investment company Hellaby Holdings.

As revealed by the Business Herald on Tuesday, Bendon will move the manufacturing of the Expozay line overseas, but says it is committed to maintaining the brand.

Although 48 Expozay workers have been given notice as the result of the deal, children's clothing manufacturer Pumpkin Patch will take on around 15 staff from the sewing pool.



Pumpkin Patch - which produces around 1.5 million units of clothing a year - already had a sewing contract with Expozay.

Pumpkin Patch had previously moved in to take up manufacturing lines that Bendon abandoned when it decided to move production overseas in 1999, specifically the lingerie maker's Te Aroha factory.

Meanwhile, Bendon Group managing director Hugo Venter says rumours circulating about the future of Expozay were premature, given that the details of the acquisition were still being finalised.

"We are now in the process of working through its integration into the Bendon Group and will release further details of the purchase in the next few weeks."

Mr Venter said that founders Tony and Judy Alvos could be proud of the Expozay brand which they had built up over the past 27 years.