Spotlight swinging back to wool

Wool Partners International chief executive Iain Abercrombie remains optimistic about the future...
Wool Partners International chief executive Iain Abercrombie remains optimistic about the future of wool, despite the sector's current difficulties. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Wool Partners International expects to go to farmers for funds next March.

Farmers will be invited to invest the equivalent of 20c for every kilogram of wool they produce for five years, or about $15,000 for a 3000-ewe farm.

Wool Partners International (WPI) chief executive Iain Abercrombie said in an interview release of the company's prospectus had been delayed by the need to launch other initiatives but also to ensure the company had "a compelling story" to take to farmers.

Mr Abercrombie also announced the Wools of New Zealand brand, owned by WPI, was being put to work once again.

WPI intends to use it in January and February, in a training project for carpet retailers, manufacturers and consumers.

The Wools of New Zealand brand will be used in the United States and Europe to differentiated woollen carpets from synthetics and to educate retailers and consumers of the benefits of wool - that it was natural, healthy and sustainable.

One of the initiatives was to launch touch-screen units at retail level which told within a couple of minutes the story of wool and the benefits of woollen carpets.

"We need something to get their attention for two to three minutes and communicate the benefits of wool."

Little money had been invested and there had been little promotion in the brand for the past 10 years, he said, but the launch would coincide with the Domotex trade fair in Germany in January and Surfaces in the US in February.

He was surprised at the strength of the brand.

"The Wools of New Zealand brand is growers' greatest asset. It has the ability to drive change in the wool industry."

Mr Abercrombie said WPI's Laneve brand would be part of that launch.

For the 18 US and 17 European carpet companies that had signed up to the brand, it meant the wool met animal and environmental welfare standards and that those standards were audited.

Previously, there was no guarantee New Zealand wool was not being blended with lower value wool.

Mr Abercrombie admitted it had been a tough first year in a job in which he had to change the way crossbred wool was sold in order to save it.

Add in the global recession, and he understood farmer frustration with prices that were dipping ever lower.

Having said that, there were still many who were passionate about wool and he urged farmers to remain loyal.

Wool was a valuable niche product and its attributes of being natural and sustainable would become even more relevant.

There was no quick fix and he reiterated a view expressed when he started in October 2008, that it would take three-to-five years to achieve sustainable wool prices.

The drivers to achieve that was the speed with which the recession ended and the success in creating demand.

 

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