Wool Services International appears to have usurped the restructuring of the wool industry by planning to take its Purelana-branded wool strategy nationwide next season.
There are similarities between wool exporter WSI's proposal and the Wool Industry Network's plans to unite growers and export branded product.
WSI managing director Michael Dwyer admits there are similarities, but said he was just getting on with business and was not trying to compete.
"We've been innovative with this. We were the first to come up with the idea and the first to put it into action."
Mr Dwyer said he hoped to attract as much crossbred wool to the Purelana scheme as he could, with the promise of up to $30 a bale more compared to other selling methods.
The size of premium was based on an independent analysis.
The brand was tested in the North Island last year but, starting this week, WSI would push for business throughout the country, Mr Dwyer said.
WSI last year exported between 30,000 and 40,000 tonnes of mainly crossbred wool, between 30% and 40% of New Zealand's crossbred production, which went to 30 countries.
The Purelana brand was designed to shorten the supply chain between growers and end-users, while also taking advantage of "world-leading" scouring technology and associated quality assurance which allowed consumers to trace the fibre back to the grower.
Mr Dwyer said growers had several supply options, including contracts and buying forward.
The Wool Industry Network, an industry and government initiative designed to resurrect the ailing wool industry, has a similar strategy of creating a brand and a centralised sales and marketing network.
It also relied on volume and received a boost in May when PGG Wrightson agreed to include the majority of its wool business in a newly-formed co-operative, Wool Grower Holdings.
The challenge for both the network and WSI was to get grower support.