Businesswoman Jan Cameron, who received a Queen's Birthday honour for philanthropy today, is in talks with outdoor clothing and equipment maker Macpac about a joint venture.A deal with Macpac would pit her against Kathmandu, the company she founded and th
Businesswoman Jan Cameron, who received a Queen's Birthday honour for philanthropy today, is in talks with outdoor clothing and equipment maker Macpac about a joint venture.
A deal with Macpac would pit her against Kathmandu, the company she founded and then sold for a $275 million in 2006, netting her some $230 million.
She had previously announced she was looking to set up a chain of stores in New Zealand and Australia to compete with Kathmandu, which is Australasia's biggest chain selling outdoor gear.
Ms Cameron says she is now in talks with Macpac about a joint venture and this could be up and running by the New Year.
Since opening her first outdoor store in Christchurch in the late 1980s, and then the first Kathmandu shop in Melbourne, she is credited with turning a largely moribund sector into a dynamic form of retailing.
Ms Cameron now lives in Tasmania and has lifted her public profile with philanthropic gestures, such as giving $2.5 million to the Hillary Institute for youth leadership awards and generous donations to animal welfare.
At the Hillary Institute's launch, she said: "You can only use so much money yourself, so you've then got to decide what to do with it. I'm in a privileged position to be able to do that."
