NeoTech: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 09:20, 26 October 2026

NeoTech, also styled NeoTech ProGear, was a New Zealand paintball equipment brand supplying neoprene ammunition harnesses and other accessories. Its contemporary catalogue included three-, four- and five-pod harnesses, protective accessories and equipment bags. The company also supported tournament awards and sponsored Saints.[1][2][3]

History

Neo-Tech Pro-Gear Limited was incorporated in New Zealand on 11 November 1999 under company number 985911. The Companies Register lists Graeme Kenneth Ireland as its director and records 500 shares divided equally between Ireland and Wayne Rolleston. The company is recorded as removed from the register.[4][5]

The contemporary Mercenaries Star supplier directory listed NeoTech and identified its neoprene harnesses.[1] NeoTech's archived website used the name NeoTech ProGear (NZ) Ltd and provided an Auckland postal contact address.[6]

The company's news page announced a new logo, barrel bags and gear bags on 1 June 2002, a new website on 7 June and a New Zealand price list on 12 June.[3]

Products

NeoTech's archived catalogue listed the following products:[2]

Three-, four- and five-pod ammunition harnesses.
Equipment bags.
Caps and shirts.
Neck protectors.
Bottle covers.
Barrel bags.

The three-pod range included Classic harnesses with vertical or horizontal pod arrangements and full-pod covers, advertised for 100- and 140-round pods. The Sport three-pod harness used half-pod covers.[7]

Later player recollections describe custom harnesses and expandable modular or strapless designs. A 2021 paintball-community discussion recalled NeoTech harnesses in comparison with later products. These accounts do not establish a date of introduction or priority over other manufacturers.[8]

Tournament support and team use

NeoTech's own news page explicitly identified Saints as a sponsored team in its 3 June 2002 announcement of the team's second place at the 2002 Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament. The same page recorded the award of the NeoTech Cup to Titans as an up-and-coming team.[3]

The contemporary tournament report independently recorded Titans receiving the NeoTech ProGear up-and-coming-team cup.[9]

NeoTech equipment also appeared among tournament prizes. At the 2002 Northland Open, Adam Pinfold of Goblins received NeoTech equipment with the Player of the Match award. Saints captain Rik Goldsworthy thanked NeoTech ProGear for his harness when accepting the Division One trophy.[10]

Retrospective accounts associate NeoTech custom harnesses with Copenhagen Ducks during Mat Lewis's time with the team. Lewis's Copenhagen Ducks association is independently documented in a 2014 G.I. Sportz report, but that report does not establish a NeoTech sponsorship agreement.[11]

References

Mercenaries Star: Suppliers and Manufacturer Pages. Contemporary New Zealand paintball directory identifying NeoTech's neoprene harnesses.
NeoTech ProGear product catalogue. Archived manufacturer website.
NeoTech ProGear news. Manufacturer announcements dated January–June 2002; archived 4 October 2002.
Neo-Tech Pro-Gear Limited (985911): company summary. New Zealand Companies Office, accessed 26 October 2026.
Neo-Tech Pro-Gear Limited: shareholdings. New Zealand Companies Office, accessed 26 October 2026.
NeoTech ProGear contact information. Archived manufacturer website.
NeoTech ProGear: 3 Pod Harnesses. Archived manufacturer product descriptions.
Nothing Worse Than Running Out of Paint. Reddit r/paintball, 25–26 October 2021. Retrospective community discussion.
The 2002 Rotorua Volcanic Paintball Tournament. Rob Maddox, NZ Paintball Online, 2002; archived 13 June 2002.
The 2002 Northland Paintball Open. Rob Maddox, NZ Paintball Online, 2002; archived 6 August 2002.
Shenanigans Paintball Team at the Millennium World Cup. G.I. Sportz, 3 October 2014. Documents Mat Lewis's Copenhagen Ducks association.

External links

Archived NeoTech ProGear website

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+'''NeoTech''', also styled '''NeoTech ProGear''', was a New Zealand [[paintball]] equipment brand supplying neoprene ammunition harnesses and other accessories. Its contemporary catalogue included three-, four- and five-pod harnesses, protective accessories and equipment bags. The company also supported tournament awards and sponsored [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]].[1][2][3]
-'''NeoTech''' (also styled '''Neotech''') was a New Zealand [[paintball]] equipment brand specialising in neoprene ammunition harnesses and custom equipment for tournament players. Active by the early 2000s, it was associated with the development of expandable, modular paintball harness systems and supplied equipment to competitive teams.[1]
 == History ==
+'''Neo-Tech Pro-Gear Limited''' was incorporated in New Zealand on 11 November 1999 under company number 985911. The Companies Register lists Graeme Kenneth Ireland as its director and records 500 shares divided equally between Ireland and Wayne Rolleston. The company is recorded as removed from the register.[4][5]
-NeoTech was operating in New Zealand by the early 2000s.
+The contemporary ''Mercenaries Star'' supplier directory listed NeoTech and identified its neoprene harnesses.[1] NeoTech's archived website used the name NeoTech ProGear (NZ) Ltd and provided an Auckland postal contact address.[6]
-The contemporary ''Mercenaries Star'' website listed NeoTech among New Zealand paintball suppliers and specifically identified its neoprene harnesses.[1]
-The company's products were used in tournament paintball, with retrospective accounts identifying custom harnesses made for individual players and teams.
-Its precise founding date, ownership and manufacturing location have not been established.
-== Products and innovation ==
-NeoTech specialised in paintball harnesses designed to carry ammunition pods during competitive play.
-In addition to conventional neoprene harnesses, the company reportedly produced custom designs and an expandable modular harness system.
-According to retrospective accounts from New Zealand players, this included an early strapless design that allowed players to expand the number of pods carried through additional modular components.
-The design has been described as a precursor to later modular harness systems.
-A 2021 discussion on Reddit's paintball community also recalled NeoTech's New Zealand harness designs and compared them with later products from [[JT]].[2]
-The claim that NeoTech manufactured the first expandable modular strapless harness has not been independently established through surviving manufacturer advertisements, patents or contemporary product documentation.
-== Team sponsorship and use ==
+The company's news page announced a new logo, barrel bags and gear bags on 1 June 2002, a new website on 7 June and a New Zealand price list on 12 June.[3]
-Retrospective accounts identify NeoTech as a sponsor of the Danish professional paintball team [[Copenhagen Ducks]] during the period when New Zealand player '''Mat Lewis''' played for the team.
+== Products ==
+NeoTech's archived catalogue listed the following products:[2]
-Lewis's association with Copenhagen Ducks is independently documented in an October 2014 report published by [[G.I. Sportz]], which identifies him as a New Zealand player associated with the Danish team.[3]
+* Three-, four- and five-pod ammunition harnesses.
+* Equipment bags.
+* Caps and shirts.
+* Neck protectors.
+* Bottle covers.
+* Barrel bags.
-Other teams reported to have used NeoTech harnesses include '''[[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]]''', an established New Zealand tournament team. Saints Gold won the 2001 New Zealand seven-man national championship.[4]
+The three-pod range included '''Classic''' harnesses with vertical or horizontal pod arrangements and full-pod covers, advertised for 100- and 140-round pods. The '''Sport''' three-pod harness used half-pod covers.[7]
-Contemporary sponsorship advertisements or team equipment lists confirming these NeoTech relationships have not yet been located.
+Later player recollections describe custom harnesses and expandable modular or strapless designs. A 2021 paintball-community discussion recalled NeoTech harnesses in comparison with later products. These accounts do not establish a date of introduction or priority over other manufacturers.[8]
-== Historical significance ==
+== Tournament support and team use ==
+NeoTech's own news page explicitly identified Saints as a sponsored team in its 3 June 2002 announcement of the team's second place at the [[2002 Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]]. The same page recorded the award of the NeoTech Cup to Titans as an up-and-coming team.[3]
-NeoTech was part of New Zealand's early paintball equipment industry, manufacturing or supplying specialist soft goods during the development of organised tournament paintball.
+The contemporary tournament report independently recorded Titans receiving the NeoTech ProGear up-and-coming-team cup.[9]
-Its neoprene harnesses are documented in contemporary New Zealand paintball records, while retrospective accounts describe custom production, international team sponsorship and early modular harness development.
+NeoTech equipment also appeared among tournament prizes. At the [[2002 Northland Open]], Adam Pinfold of Goblins received NeoTech equipment with the Player of the Match award. Saints captain Rik Goldsworthy thanked NeoTech ProGear for his harness when accepting the Division One trophy.[10]
-The brand represents an example of specialist paintball equipment development outside the larger American and European manufacturing markets.
+Retrospective accounts associate NeoTech custom harnesses with [[Copenhagen Ducks]] during [[Mat Lewis]]'s time with the team. Lewis's Copenhagen Ducks association is independently documented in a 2014 G.I. Sportz report, but that report does not establish a NeoTech sponsorship agreement.[11]
 == See also ==
 * [[Paintball equipment]]
+* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]
+* [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)]]
 * [[Copenhagen Ducks]]
-* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]
 == References ==
+# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm Mercenaries Star: Suppliers and Manufacturer Pages]. Contemporary New Zealand paintball directory identifying NeoTech's neoprene harnesses.
-# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm Mercenaries Star: New Zealand Paintball Online]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Contemporary New Zealand paintball supplier directory identifying NeoTech and its neoprene harnesses.
+# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020721094542/http://www.neotech.co.nz/products.htm NeoTech ProGear product catalogue]. Archived manufacturer website.
-# [https://www.reddit.com/r/paintball/comments/qfhnf1/ Nothing Worse Than Running Out of Paint]. ''Reddit r/paintball'', 25–26 October 2021. Community discussion containing a retrospective comparison of New Zealand NeoTech harnesses with JT products.
+# [https://web.archive.org/web/20021004025808/http://www.neotech.co.nz/news.htm NeoTech ProGear news]. Manufacturer announcements dated January–June 2002; archived 4 October 2002.
-# [https://gisportz.com/fr/shenanigans-paintball-team-at-the-millennium-world-cup/ Shenanigans Paintball Team at the Millennium World Cup]. ''G.I. Sportz'', 3 October 2014. Identifies New Zealand player Mat Lewis with Copenhagen Ducks.
+# [https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/985911 Neo-Tech Pro-Gear Limited (985911): company summary]. New Zealand Companies Office, accessed 26 October 2026.
-# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Mercenaries Star: 2001 Valhalla National Champions]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Historical New Zealand tournament standings identifying Saints Gold as the 2001 national seven-man champions.
+# [https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/985911/shareholdings Neo-Tech Pro-Gear Limited: shareholdings]. New Zealand Companies Office, accessed 26 October 2026.
+# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020721094542/http://www.neotech.co.nz/contacts.htm NeoTech ProGear contact information]. Archived manufacturer website.
+# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020721094542/http://www.neotech.co.nz/3pod.htm NeoTech ProGear: 3 Pod Harnesses]. Archived manufacturer product descriptions.
+# [https://www.reddit.com/r/paintball/comments/qfhnf1/ Nothing Worse Than Running Out of Paint]. Reddit r/paintball, 25–26 October 2021. Retrospective community discussion.
+# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020613131436/http://www.paintball.co.nz/volcanic2.htm The 2002 Rotorua Volcanic Paintball Tournament]. Rob Maddox, ''NZ Paintball Online'', 2002; archived 13 June 2002.
+# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020806192035/http://www.paintball.co.nz/north2002.htm The 2002 Northland Paintball Open]. Rob Maddox, ''NZ Paintball Online'', 2002; archived 6 August 2002.
+# [https://gisportz.com/fr/shenanigans-paintball-team-at-the-millennium-world-cup/ Shenanigans Paintball Team at the Millennium World Cup]. G.I. Sportz, 3 October 2014. Documents Mat Lewis's Copenhagen Ducks association.
 == External links ==
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020721094542/http://www.neotech.co.nz/ Archived NeoTech ProGear website]
-* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm NeoTech listing in the New Zealand Paintball Online directory]
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.neotech.co.nz/ Historical NeoTech website archives]
-[[Category:Paintball businesses]]
 [[Category:Paintball equipment]]
 [[Category:Paintball in New Zealand]]

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