Apparelmaster Rotorua - Apparelmaster Rotorua 1227 Pukuatua Street

The Apparelmaster Team

Apparelmaster Australasia Ltd is the Apparelmaster licensor and is a 100% New Zealand owned family business.

The Apparelmaster Head Office team includes:

Bevan Ritchie - Owner / Managing Director
Susan Ritchie – Owner / Office Manager
Alison Cox – Office Support / Admin
Belinda Wehrle – Group Strategic Coordinator

THE INITIAL YEARS

The history of Apparelmaster centres on Bill Ritchie, seen below at the Apparelmaster 40th Annual Conference. In 1978 Taylor Bros Ltd brought the established American business Apparelmaster to New Zealand. Back then Bill worked closely with Taylor Brothers head John Taylor, looking at new initiatives to better serve the New Zealand drycleaning and workwear market. Later that year the first Apparelmaster New Zealand business was formed, Taylors Apparelmaster, based in Wellington. Their first customer was Edwards Panel beaters in Rongotai and they are still a customer today. Over the years Bill's role continued to change and expand, in the early 1980's Bill became General Manager of the Taylor Brothers group, which included the now growing Apparelmaster business. At this time throughout New Zealand, Apparelmaster licenses were being sold and all to existing and well-established drycleaning businesses. The first licensee still remains within the group today - Sincerity Drycleaners Apparelmaster in Matamata.

 

FORMING APPARELMASTER AUSTRALASIA 1993 LTD

In 1993 Bill took the next big step and purchased the right to be the sole and exclusive Australia and New Zealand Franchisor. Apparelmaster Australasia 1993 Ltd was officially formed and continues today under the same registered company name. Since its initial establishment, we are proud of the fact that all earnings and profits are retained in New Zealand throughout the Apparelmaster group. By the late 1990's the group as you see it today was pretty well formed. The same network of Apparelmaster businesses has remained for almost 20 years. With all this expansion it was timely for Bevan (Bill's son) to join the family business. In 1996 Bevan became a joint license holder of Wellington Apparelmaster Ltd.

RECENT YEARS

In 2006, coinciding with Bevan joining the Apparelmaster Australasia team full time, the group formalised a head office structure providing a centralised contact point for the Apparelmaster Group.  Bevan was made Managing Director of the Apparelmaster Group in 2010 and heads up the established Apparelmaster head office which provides an on-going and active role in ensuring the success of each individually owned and managed Apparelmaster business. This includes maintaining a nationwide and fully customised computer system (which underwent a major overhaul in 2013), undertaking annual nationwide audits to ensure all service standards are strictly maintained, assisting with national sales and marketing strategies and establishing national policies that all Apparelmaster members must adhere to. Over the years the range of laundry and drycleaning services, workplace and workwear rental options has continued to grow and expand and now includes the supply and maintenance of all manner of workplace mats, towels and towelling systems, washroom dispensers and consumables, first aid kits and lockers. 

Apparelmaster sets its roots in servicing the automotive sector and is now NZ's leading supplier and commercial launderer of automotive workwear. Nationwide the group supplies and cleans branded workwear for many leading national automotive brands. This includes Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Ford.  

Alongside the many businesses we continue to service at a local level, as a national chain we also work with such recognised brands as Hirepool.

Apparelmaster’s focus of meeting the needs of changing markets, trends, standards and safety compliance, is just one of several factors that sets the business apart from its competitors. Providing the best product, tailored to clients needs and the highest level of customer service for all your workplace rental and laundry solutions means Apparelmaster truly are the masters of your trade.