Hat maker to the stars, Hill's Hats in Petone is gearing up to celebrate it's 150th anniversary next year. That's a huge achievement for any business, especially one in the manufacturing sector, but it's not all peachy in Petone. Hills is facing increased competition from overseas. Recently several key clients including Defence have shifted their hat orders away from Hills, instead signing contracts with offshore manufacturers. The result of this pressure is that Hills have also started importing hats made in China, and selling them under their Eskay brand. Hills Hats Owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy tell us more about what's going on in the Hat industry, and how Hatman - a character in a gold mask, cape and captains hat has been helping them to secure export orders.
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Ten-thousand people are expected to attend Tauranga’s star-studded Juicy Fest on Sunday. And the forecast is looking “not too bad” after wild weather forced.