Our Heritage

Albion Clothing began in Christchurch, owned by Henry Mathies, who had been a director at Lane Walker Rudkin. In 1977, George and Robyn Steele purchased Albion Clothing, which was then a small factory with 12 machinists. After the purchase, Steele acquired the entire Lane Walker Rudkin tailoring arm, leading Albion to focus on making uniforms for various government agencies.

  • 1975

    Henry Mathies is the oldest known owner of Albion Clothing. He was a manager at Lane Walker Rudkin and worked in tailoring before his time at Albion

  • 1977

    Robyn and George Steele buy it together.

  • 2005

    George's son in law Stuart Montgomery takes over as general manager for 14 years. Stuart now lives in Australia with his family.

  • 2019

    Ben Kepes, a business leader and co-founder of Cactus Outdoors acquired Albion Clothing. Nowadays, Albion is one of the largest Clothing Manufacturers in Aotearoa.

Our Values

Respect

Our commitment to open communication ensures that every team member has a voice, fostering a workplace where diverse perspectives are both welcomed and celebrated. Creating a positive environment at Albion involves collectively working together through cross-training, collaboration and kindness.

Responsibility

Albion works under ethical practices allowing staff to maintain work-life balance and care from trained health and safety staff. We also aim to look at the big picture in our relationships; nurturing the partnerships throughout our supply chain internationally and within the New Zealand apparel industry.