Through the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), 15 candidates were referred to Bremworth, including former Design Spun staff.
Design Spun managing director Brendan Jackson said the support from MSD for his staff ahead of the closure made the process a little easier for his staff.
“It worked really well for our team. We have the majority, if not all, of our manufacturing team who wanted to continue working across to Bremworth.”
Bremworth, which has invested $5.6 million to reinstate yarn-making equipment, had been sourcing yarn internationally after the cyclone disruption.
“Reinstating local woollen yarn production at our Awatoto plant is key to maintaining Bremworth’s reputation for premium quality carpets,” head of yarn operations Chris Nabney said.
“We can control our quality a lot better here, as opposed to processing New Zealand woollen yarn overseas.”
The recovery comes against a challenging backdrop for the wool industry in Hawke’s Bay. Sheep numbers have dropped from about five million in 1990 to fewer than three million today.
MSD regional commissioner Steve Smits-Murray said Cyclone Gabrielle had a significant impact on Hawke’s Bay employment, particularly in manufacturing.
“It is fantastic to see businesses like Bremworth reopen, and being able to place so many employees into work is a real win for us and for the community.”
Through the Enhanced Taskforce Green programme activated post-cyclone, MSD contracted four providers to employ 54 workers for initial clean-up efforts, paid 203 wage subsidies to 57 employers to help fill 232 cyclone and flood-related vacancies, and funded training programmes for hundreds of workers across the region.