Our team
Peter Rutherford
Founder and Managing Director
Peter founded Ritex in Wellington before relocating the business to Nelson, with a clear vision: to provide high-quality, competitively priced textiles while building lasting relationships with customers across New Zealand and beyond. He recognised the need for reliable supply in industries as diverse as hospitality, agriculture, horticulture, and manufacturing — and set out to make Ritex a trusted partner for businesses that depend on bulk textile solutions.
With decades of experience in international trade and textiles, Peter established strong supplier networks across Asia and Europe. Over his career he has travelled to six continents to build Ritex’s supplier and customer portfolio, creating a distribution model that balances affordability with uncompromising quality. His emphasis on reliability and customer service set Ritex apart from competitors and continues to shape the company’s reputation today.
Peter has believes keeping business personal. Many of Ritex’s earliest customers remain long-term partners, thanks to his straightforward approach and commitment to tailoring solutions for each client.
Beyond Ritex, Peter is a life member of both the Karori Cricket Club (Wellington) and the Stoke Bowling Club (Nelson), and a loyal supporter of Zingari Richmond Rugby Football Club (Dunedin). He now spends more of his time at his holiday home in Wānaka, while remaining connected to Ritex by providing guidance and sharing his industry knowledge.
His legacy is a company built not only on strong products but also on strong values: quality, trust, and customer commitment.
Brendan Hodgson
General Manager | Woolpacks
Nelson born and bred, Brendan’s connection to Ritex goes back as far as he can remember — his father, Wayne, ran Valiant Containers from the very site Ritex now occupies. That business was eventually purchased by Ritex, forming the foundation of the company’s polypropylene bag division.
Brendan started working casually for Ritex around 2000 during school holidays, unloading containers alongside now-Warehouse Manager James Pugh. He joined the team on a full-time basis in 2006, working across admin, accounts, and linen sales before heading off to university.
He returned in 2012 as Category Manager for Woolpacks and stepped into the General Manager role in 2023. Despite taking on broader responsibilities, Brendan still proudly manages the woolpacks category — a product he’s grown to romantically enjoy, thanks to both a genuine love of the product and the strong relationships he’s built with customers and suppliers alike.
His long history with the company gives him a deep understanding of its roots, while his leadership helps shape its future.
Peter Hodson
Category Manager:
Woven Bags & Aquaculture
Born in Blenheim but raised in Nelson, making him a true Tasman Mako man, Pete’s Ritex journey began in the early 2000s as a casual unloading containers. He moved into a full-time warehouse role in 2001 and steadily rose through the ranks to become Warehouse Manager.
With his calm manner and encyclopedic product knowledge, Pete was a natural fit to manage the woolpack category before settling into his current role overseeing Bags and Aquaculture. An expert in woven bags, he manages the full supply chain from procurement through to sales. Pete is skilled at sourcing and designing tailored solutions, ensuring every customer gets the right product to meet their unique business needs — reliably and efficiently.
Adam Olverson
Category Manager:
Laundry & Industrial Textiles
Born in Southampton and raised across six countries, including finishing his education in Jamaica, Adam developed a global eye for quality and service. Early exposure to hospitality came through an internship at Sandals Resorts, where his father had been a director.
Adam began his textile career with Britannia Textiles as Sales Manager, supplying commercial linen and medical textiles to laundries, DHBs, and hotels nationwide, gaining expertise in forecasting, custom orders, and industry representation. He also spent seven years in the automotive industry, building operational and customer-focused skills.
Joining Ritex in 2023, Adam now serves as Category Manager, overseeing procurement through to after-sales service while driving growth in laundry and industrial textiles. Outside work, he enjoys family time, tinkering with motorcycles and cars, and electronics.
Sirena Ikink
Financial Administrator
Sirena returned to her hometown of Nelson in early 2023 after several years working across various finance roles in Australia — and walked straight into her current role at Ritex.
As Financial Adminisrator, she oversees the company’s accounts, financial systems, and forward exchange with a sharp eye and steady hand.
Known for her no-nonsense approach and genuine passion for numbers, Sirena ensures bills get paid on time and combines international experience with a grounded, get-it-done attitude that keeps Ritex’s finances in excellent order.
Kim Webber
Logistics Coordinator
After seeing the light and relocating to sunny Nelson in 2022, Kim joined the Ritex team early 2023.
A welcoming face at the front desk and a friendly voice on the phone, Kim manages the day-to-day logistics, coordinating deliveries, incoming shipments, and inventory flow so everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
When she is not at work you’ll most likely find her pottering in the garden or spending time with her family.
Natasha Phipps
Sewing Superstar
The wizard behind every relabelled towel and expertly amended sheet. Fast, precise, and always fabulous, Natasha keeps our linen looking sharp and our labels in line. She’s been with Ritex since 2005, through the evolution of the warehouse production team, pivoting from bags to linen with ease.
A true asset to our team, Natasha’s skill and dedication allow us to meet exact customer requirements, and our clients are always delighted when we include their custom labels or tailor products perfectly to their needs. Her work keeps us nimble and our product top-notch.
James Pugh
Warehouse Manager
James officially joined Ritex in 2004, although he’d already spent most of his school holidays working casually in the warehouse from the moment he was legally allowed to. With a very solid work ethic and a steady, practical approach, he learned the ins and outs of the operation over time — building a deep understanding of the products and processes through hands-on experience.
He also carries a strong sense of the company’s history, with his late father Brian having been a well-known and much-liked category manager at Ritex for many years. When the Warehouse Manager role became available, James was a natural choice. He now runs the warehouse with calm efficiency and quiet reliability, ensuring everything moves where it needs to — when it needs to.
Alana Coles
Marketing and Brand
Alana joined Ritex at the start of 2025, stepping into leading marketing and brand — especially in the online space. She’s held several roles with the NZ Police, MSD, and successfully built up her own online business. We’re lucky to have her while she puts her proper career on hold and smashes it in her “mum job.”
Our marketing has been a bit lacklustre and hasn’t really moved with the times — especially compared to how long some of our team members have been here! Alana is committed to bringing Ritex up to speed with modern marketing trends and brand excellence. Watch this space — big things are coming.
