Saibosi partners with Wools of New Zealand to showcase farm-to-floor wool rugs in China
Chinese textile company Saibosi has partnered with Wools of New Zealand to put the 'farm to floor' story of New Zealand wool rugs on screen for its customers.
In a bid to meet growing demand for its three ingredient products, Allwool limited has recently purchased a wool plant at Te Poi, in the Waikato.
The company, owned and run by the Hansen family, has its origins in 1890s Gisborne when William Henry Smith set up the area’s first wool scour and formed W H Smith Ltd.
The company has not been without its challenges, between two world wars, low strong wool prices and the Covid-19 pandemic. It has weathered its fair share of storms – as well as going through multiple name changes along the way.
During the pandemic, the company turned towards using wool to engineer a new fibre – Wisewool. The product is engineered by using the wool from farmer suppliers in Tairawhiti, Gisborne, to intertwine wool fibres together to make small buds and blankets.
Chief executive Henry Hansen says the purchase of the Waikato plant is well-timed for the company.
“We are planning a large new factory and new machinery for our company base in Gisborne. However, that project is realistically two to three years away,” he told Rural News.
“The Te Poi plant will enable Wisewool to immediately start supplying our ingredient products to the New Zealand furniture market and affiliated industries, satisfying the growing demand for our new products,” Hansen says.
He adds that the market appears ready to start replacing synthetic ingredient products with wool products.
Harry Urquhart-Hay, who manages the company’s sales and marketing, says the demand for the product is bigger than anticipated.
“The demand for wool seems to be growing by the month,” he told Rural News. He believes the demand continues to increase, particularly within the last year.
Urquhart-Hay says large businesses like Bremworth have helped to fuel the growth by getting the word out about wool and its benefits.
“I think people are realising the damage synthetics and plastic does to the planet,” he says. “Returning to natural fibres is making more and more sense in consumer eyes.”
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
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