Queensland Government backs Gold Coast wetsuit maker’s dive into global waters

Open-water wetsuit maker Volare Sports is set to dive back into the US and UK markets thanks to a $10,000 Queensland Government grant.

Premier and Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk said Volare Sports was one of 45 Queensland companies to benefit from Trade and Investment Queensland’s $440,000 E-commerce Grants Program.

“E-commerce grants are a key part of my government’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan to boost Queensland businesses’ global marketing,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“COVID-19 challenged small businesses like Volare Sport that were previously exporting through traditional bricks and mortar stores. These grants will back their pivot to more online sales, which is key to competing in an increasingly virtual global marketplace.”

Volare Sports Managing Director Anthony Cook said the grant would support the company’s expanding US and UK marketing with websites to launch in coming months.

“While we are the number one Australian-owned open water wetsuit brand we have the potential to increase our US sales by up to six times with the right website,” Mr Cook said.

Volare Sports designs and tests their gear on the Gold Coast and sells neoprene wetsuits for swimming, surf-lifesaving and triathlons and specialised water sports products worldwide.

“Our most popular items in the US right now are waterproof bags, or dry bags, that can even float on water and are used year-round,” Mr Cook said.

“We sell wetsuits to people who swim where the water temperature never rises above 15 degrees, such as in Alaska, Chile, UK and the Isle of Wight, as well as Australians who want to use their home swimming pools in the winter or want to swim in the ocean.

“When pools were closed during lockdown, more Australians took to open water swimming, and luckily for us, that trend continued, as people fell in love with swimming in the ocean.”

Queensland’s E-commerce Grant Program has recipients based in South-East Queensland, the Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, Outback Queensland and Far North Queensland. Companies needed to produce and export Queensland products, have e-commerce marketing plans and strategies for their overseas markets, and have been exporting for more than a year.

For more information visit tiq.qld.gov.au.

ENDS

Media contact: Chris O’Brien 0419 774 004