March 05, 2013 (Hamilton, ON) – Local manufacturer of athletic lines Niko Apparel Systems has partnered with the National Cycling Centre Hamilton (NCCH) as the new official supplier of the team kit and promotional spirit-wear. The three year agreement has wide ranging benefits including custom fitting, collaborative design, and ongoing research and development – all onsite in Hamilton. “Our team apparel has to perform at a high level, and Niko’s pedigree comes from Olympic rowing,” said sponsorship officer Steve Grundy. “Niko has a great design team and were very open to our ideas. They engaged our athletes to find out what they wanted and then involved them in the design process.”
“As a local business with roots in the Hamilton cycling community, we were thrilled and honoured to be awarded the contract to outfit NCCH this season,” said Niko Apparel owner Joe Camillo. NCCH expects to leverage this new relationship to support other initiatives. Niko’s background in supporting teams across multiple sports disciplines brings fresh thinking to cycling apparel and adds value to the NCCH and its sponsors. “Mock-ups can take weeks or months to complete, but Niko worked it out for us in their virtual studio in a matter of hours. They have come through on every commitment,” added Grundy.
“We’re accomplishing a great deal with this new partnership,” said manager and head coach Rick Lee. “We’re supporting a local business while having direct links to the manufacturer, working with Joe and his staff on every detail of the kit design and function.” Visit www.nikoapparel.ca and www.nine-o.com for more information.
CHCH National Cycling Centre Hamilton is a not-for-profit corporation created as legacy organization following the 2003 UCI World Road Cycling Championships in Hamilton. The Centre is one of five nationally recognized cycling centres in Canada and is responsible for identifying, recruiting, testing, coaching and training high performance and development athletes in the Province of Ontario. The Centre is formally partnered with the Canadian Cycling Association, the Ontario Cycling Association, the City of Hamilton and McMaster University. Since its creation in 2005, the Centre has assisted over 20 athletes win medals at National Championships and/or become members of the Canadian National Cycling Team.
Niko Apparel Systems is a Canadian owned apparel manufacturer with operations in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and has been in business since 1994. Operating under its flag-ship brand Nine-O, Niko Apparel Systems designs and manufactures high quality and high performance sports apparel for a wide range of clients, including many of the national rowing team squads in North America, Europe, and Asia. Niko’s flexible manufacturing operations employ highly skilled designers, embroiderers and seamstresses to ensure the high quality standards that their customers demand.