Tauranga Boys' College, shop reach uniform deal

The Tauranga business accused of selling imitation Tauranga Boys' College uniforms has reached a confidential settlement with the school.

Active Schoolwear Limited (ASL) on Grey St has reached an out-of-court settlement with the college after the business was found to be selling imitation uniforms, not from the college's official manufacturer ISC Lenco.

ASL managing director Tineke Bouchier said an agreement had been reached but she refused to disclose the settlement details, citing confidentiality.

She claimed the business had been the victim of bullying after being squeezed out of sales at Tauranga Boys' College. She stood by the company's reputation of providing high-quality school uniforms in the Bay of Plenty for more than 30 years.

Mrs Bouchier said she did not have an exclusive, written agreement with any school she supplied uniforms for, as it would contravene the Commerce Act, and she was advised not to do so by the Commerce Commission about four years ago.

At the time, the commission was reviewing the school uniform business and had contacted Mrs Bouchier to interview about the industry, she said.

About three years ago Tauranga Boys' College contacted her to tell her they had an exclusive uniform stockist and she would have to buy the uniforms through them.

She said the school wanted to make money from uniforms and was charging more than the uniforms she had sold at ASL.

In February, after Tauranga Boys' College filed an injunction against ASL to prevent them selling school uniforms not manufactured by ISC Lenco, Mrs Bouchier decided to stop selling the uniform.

"We're not prepared to buy off their exclusive wholesaler because their prices are too expensive," she said.

"It's the parents that have the control and if they're not happy with the quality of uniforms they're getting, I hope they would contact the school board."

Mrs Bouchier said taking the matter to court was ridiculous and treatment by the school had been ruthless.

"They have clearly spent thousands of dollars in legal costs, to force us out of the market."

Tauranga Boys' principal Robert Mangan and the school's Board of Trustees chairperson, Geoff Morgan, could not be contacted for this edition.

Principal of Tauranga Girls' College Pauline Cowens said the school had a positive supply arrangement with Active Schoolwear and Schooltex.

She said the school's monogram was jointly owned by Tauranga Girls' and Tauranga Boys' which had previously been one school. with APN