Sports suppliers rise to the challenge

By Maurice Garvey

THE mid-summer period can be a serene time of the year, but it presents many challenges for sportswear suppliers – working hard to ensure clients have new kits ready to go for the start of the season.

Rathcoole suppliers Active Sportswear Ltd in Greenogue Business Park, are one such company working flat out to supply team kits, tracksuits, polo shirts, boots, and a huge range of accessories to a variety of clubs at all levels.

The official supplier of Hummel in Ireland, Active Sportswear also recently became an agent for Italian firm Macron, and provides the full core range to a host of big clubs, including League of Ireland sides Bohemians, Derry City and Limerick FC.

But it is at junior level where Active Sportswear are concentrating efforts right now, supplying sports gear to clubs with huge membership numbers, including Crumlin Utd, St Francis FC, Lucan Utd, Clondalkin Celtic, Sacred Heart, and Dublin Bus.

“This is the busiest time of the season,” said Aidan Price, who works in sales at Active Sportswear.

“We do an awful lot of community clubs, like Firhouse Clover, Firhouse Carmel, Manortown, Collinstown FC and Cherry Orchard FC. All clubs purchase new gear every year. Kids grow at such a fast rate that it can be hard for them to keep using the same jerseys, but we offer deals to clubs.”

Active Sportswear create all their designs in-house and last year, the company opened a new showroom.

Aidan continued: “We do all embroidery and printing on site. We order in gear blank, dress it up to spec, and liase with clubs and sponsors to make sure they have what they want in badges, initials, numbers etc. Football clubs are getting more sponsors now, and are more confident asking businesses for support.

“We became a Macron agent three months ago, which allows us to offer more options to clients. Everyone’s taste buds are different. Hummel brought out a new range in 2016, and that will run for five years. We guarantee that we will be able to have the full range.”

Active Sportswear also supply to IT Tallaght and basketball team Dublin Lions.

“A lot of what we do is word of mouth, we get good recommendations and our service is good,” said Aidan.