NZ Sock : Small town manufacturer to global player

Abstract

The New Zealand Sock Company is a family-owned business based in a rural town in the South Island of New Zealand. Euan Sparrow, a fourth generation family member, has led the family business from a retail store to an entrepreneurial sock business manufacturing in New Zealand and abroad. NZ Sock has faced many challenges from the external environment including deregulation, high labour costs, cheap import substitutes, and a small domestic market. These and other constraints have forced Sparrow and his team to be innovative and global. The supply chain and partnership model within NZ Sock are examples of what it is like to conduct business in the international arena with partnerships in Poland and manufacturing processes in Asia and Europe