Bremworth Rebuilds Napier Factory Destroyed in Cyclone Gabrielle

Napier, New Zealand – In a significant move toward recovery, Bremworth, one of New Zealand’s leading carpet manufacturers, is investing $6 million to rebuild its yarn-making facility in Napier, which was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle over two years ago. This initiative is expected to create 40 new jobs and restore operations that were previously suspended due to extensive flood damage.

The factory, which once employed around 150 people, was severely impacted when floodwaters reached 1.5 meters inside the plant, submerging all electrical equipment and machinery. Since then, Bremworth has relied on imported yarn from countries such as China, India, and Pakistan. However, the company has faced challenges with the quality of these external supplies, prompting a push for in-house production.

Bremworth’s Chief Executive, Craig Woolford, expressed enthusiasm about the rebuilding efforts. “It’s a great feeling. The staff are just beyond themselves... everybody can see a really good outcome for this,” he said. The plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of October, with recruitment already underway for both former employees and new hires from the local community.

“We’ve had a huge amount of people just turning up in the last couple of days looking for work,” Woolford added, highlighting the strong local interest in the project. The company is also exploring opportunities to expand its product line, including the development of synthetic carpets to meet evolving market demands.

While Woolford noted that the wool carpet market accounts for about 15% of the New Zealand and Australian soft flooring industry, he emphasized the value of in-house production, which is projected to save between $3.50 and $5 per kilo of wool produced. “We will save between $3.50 and $5 a kilo if we do it ourselves in house,” he said.

As the company moves forward, Woolford expressed a sense of optimism. “It felt great to be rebuilding, and I wish we had done it sooner,” he said. With the plant set to resume full operations, Bremworth is poised to regain its position as a key player in the New Zealand manufacturing sector.

This is a story of resilience and revival, showing how a community and a company can come together to restore what was lost and build for the future.