Harrods shows interest in N.Z. wetsuits

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 13

Harrods shows interest in N.Z. wetsuits

NZPA staff correspondent London A New Zealander whose firm turned down a big Argentine order for wetsuits during the Falklands war hopes to sell some to the British instead. Mr J. Hempstalk, managing director of Moray Industries, an Auckland firm which is one of New. Zealand's leading wetsuit makers, has had talks with Harrods, the store where the Queen does her shopping. He said later: “I got a very good response and I hope we will get an order from them.” He is also seeing Lillywhites, one of London’s biggest sports stores, and this week will show his wetsuits to the Admiralty underwater research establishment at Weymouth. Mr Hempstalk's meetings with potential buyers in London have been arranged by a British businessman, Mr M. Stewart-Smith, chairman of Taylor of London, a firm which makes flower fragrance products.

Mr Stewart-Smith was in New Zealand, where his firm’s products are sold, when he read that Moray Industries had turned down the $1 million order for 5000 wetsuits, because they were going to Argentina. He was so impressed with the firm’s patriotism that he came back to London determined to do something to help ■ it find other buyers. “They could have just shipped the wetsuits and kept quiet about it,’’ Mr Stewart-Smith said. “But they didn’t. They made inquiries and found out that the order was for the Argentine armed forces so they told New Zealand naval intelligence and turned the order down. "I was very impressed with their action in doing this and I thought I should do something to try to help them here. “I got in touch with the Royal Navy and it agreed to look at the wetsuits. I went to Harrods to see their buyers.” Mr Stewart-Smith is the

stepson of Mr J. Milner, son of the legendary Frank Milner, late headmaster of Waitaki Boys’ High School, and was at Waitaki himself. He lived in Christchurch before returning to England, where he bought the Taylor of London business in 1963. His firm, which makes such things as soap, perfumes, bath seeds, and dried flowers potpourri, delivers its products in a black and gold carriage with a liveried coachman and a horse which is stabled at the Royal Mews. Mr Hempstalk, an old boy of Christchurch Boys’ High School, is joint owner of Moray Industries with Mr A. Dickenson, and runs the firm’s Australian sales from Sydney. Their wetsuits are also sold in the United States, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Norway. Mr Hempstalk found himself sitting next to the Burmese Trade Minister flying to London and was asked to give him a quote for wetsuits for Burma's navy. The firm is still keen to sell to South American countries and a representative .will be going there with a New Zealand trade mission next year.