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About Matt

Matt Hall - Owner, Managing Director

How did you become the owner of Bodyline Wetsuits?

After finishing High School, I worked for Thoroughgood Holdings which made horse covers and sleeping bags. I learnt how to bulk cut items.
I then moved to Sterling Henry which made Ocean Pacific and Hang Ten surf clothing, including Hawaiian shirts, T-shirts and board shorts where I learnt the art of clothes cutting.
Three years later I had a motorcycle accident and it put me out of work for 12 months.
After that I ended up working for my father at Heating and Air Conditioning Services in Henderson, delivering and installing duct systems.
One day I ordered a new custom-made wetsuit from 2001 Wetsuits and mentioned I was keen to get back into the trade.
When I picked up the wetsuit they offered me a job and I started there in early 1980, working on the cutting table.
I stayed there for five years, but in between had a six month stint working for Peak Wetsuits in Sydney.
In 1985 I went to Britain and worked for Gul Wetsuits in Cornwall, but my ultimate goal was to travel around Europe surfing and I went to the best spots in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
On my way home in late 1987 I spent two months in Sri Lanka and met my future wife Micki. We married in May 1988.

When I arrived back in Auckland I met and old mate Rod Voyce who told me he was moving to the Mount to start a wetsuit company. He invited me to join him - Rod had the business expertise and I had the pattern nous.
We started the business in 1988 with $9000 and had a three-way split between Rod, my father Bob and myself.
It was a typical Kiwi approach, and we set up a manufacturing and retail shop on Parton Road in Papamoa. Since then we have moved the business four times, twice in Hull Road and twice in Totara Street.
A couple of years later Rod decided to leave the company due to hard times. Then I met Murray Dingle, an electrician and later at a party he approached me asking whether I would like a new business partner.
We formed a 50/50 partnership and he took on the sales and marketing and I was out the back running production.
We produced New Zealand made wetsuits and the business took off. Each year the turnover kept going up. Murray was out on the road and everyone liked him.
I owe him a lot.
In 1988 I sold 25 per cent of my shareholding to Murray and was able to build my first home.
On December 7, 2001, Murray died from a brain tumour. It was a real shock and meant it was time to step out of the factory and start running the business.

For three years I worked with business coach Rod Hill of The Results Group to keep growing the business.
I have been at the helm of Bodyline for 9 years now, and it is definitely a challenge every day.
But I have a great team supporting me and we have a lot of fun.