#107 How Covid-19 challenges also a wool start up

Covid-19 challenges a wool start upFlock Wool

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In this interview, Flock Wool CEO Evan Thomsen talks about how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the company’s operations in getting the company up and running to collect its first wool. Gain insights on how to stay flexible in business during uncertain times.

 

Watch the interview with Evan Thomsen on video by clicking below. Alternatively, you can listen to the podcast on the podcast player above or on apple podcast or stitcher.

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Background Season 2

After being on a break for around 1,5 years, the Wool Academy Podcast is back with its Season 2 episodes. The focus of the podcast remains the same – learning from wool industry experts and telling the beautiful stories wool has to tell. However, a few things have also changed as well. In January 2020, I joined an Albanian Wool Trading Company called Flock Wool. In many of the season 2 episodes, you will, therefore, be invited to join the Flock Wool journey as we learn how to start and develop a little wool trading company in Albania. You will be hearing discussions between Evan Thomsen and myself as we discuss different aspects of the Flock Wool business. On this journey, I will also speak to other people in the industry trying to set up similar ventures. One more new feature, all interviews are recorded by video, so you can now not only listen on the go as usual but also watch if you feel like it. I hope you enjoy season 2 of the Wool Academy Podcast.

About Flock Wool

Founded in 2019, Flock Wool Trading Company is an international wool export company headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, USA, with an operational HQ in southern Albania. The Flock Wool team is located in Albania, Germany, and the US in order to best serve its customers. All of the company’s wool is 100% sourced from Albania.

 

How to connect with Evan Thomsen

Website: https://flockwool.com/

 

Other episodes you may want to check out

Covid-19 challenges a wool start upFlock Wool

#107 How Covid-19 challenges also a wool start up

The Flock Wool TeamFlock Wool

#106 Who is Flock Wool?

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#105 Ralf Kunert from Naturamus about Organic Lanolin

Monica Ebert Core Merino

#104 Monica Ebert about the outdoor apparel brand Core Merino

Yvar Monasch Best Wool Carpets

#103 Yvar Monasch about Best Wool Carpets

Luke Hooke Year of Wool

#102 Luke Hooke about his one year of wool experience

Eric Bjergso Canadian Co-Operative Wool Growers Limited

#101 Eric Bjergso about the Canadian Wool Industry

Elisabeth van Delden_square_webElisabeth van Delden

#100 Elisabeth van Delden about the Wool Academy Podcast

Rebecca Burgess Fibershed

#099 Rebecca Burgess about the Fibershed

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#106 Who is Flock Wool?

The Flock Wool TeamFlock Wool

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In this interview, CEO of Flock Wool, Evan Thomsen, shares the story of how he developed the idea for an Albanian Wool Trading company. You will learn how Evan and his wife Tyanna set out to find the right team, develop the business strategy, and start a new business in Albania trading wool.

Watch the full interview on video below or listen to the audio file with the link above or via your preferred podcast provider.

YouTube

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Background Season 2

After being on a break for around 1,5 years, the Wool Academy Podcast is back with its Season 2 episodes. The focus of the podcast remains the same – learning from wool industry experts and telling the beautiful stories wool has to tell. However, a few things have also changed as well. In January 2020, I joined an Albanian Wool Trading Company called Flock Wool. In many of the season 2 episodes, you will, therefore, be invited to join the Flock Wool journey as we learn how to start and develop a little wool trading company in Albania. You will be hearing discussions between Evan Thomsen and myself as we discuss different aspects of the Flock Wool business. On this journey, I will also speak to other people in the industry trying to set up similar ventures. One more new feature, all interviews are recorded by video, so you can now not only listen on the go as usual but also watch if you feel like it. I hope you enjoy season 2 of the Wool Academy Podcast.

About Flock Wool

Founded in 2019, Flock Wool Trading Company is an international wool export company headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, USA, with an operational HQ in southern Albania. The Flock Wool team is located in Albania, Germany, and the US in order to best serve its customers. All of the company’s wool is 100% sourced from Albania.

 

How to connect with Evan Thomsen

Website: https://flockwool.com/

 

Other episodes you may want to check out

Covid-19 challenges a wool start upFlock Wool

#107 How Covid-19 challenges also a wool start up

The Flock Wool TeamFlock Wool

#106 Who is Flock Wool?

Image of Ralf Kunert from NaturamusElisabeth van Delden

#105 Ralf Kunert from Naturamus about Organic Lanolin

Monica Ebert Core Merino

#104 Monica Ebert about the outdoor apparel brand Core Merino

Yvar Monasch Best Wool Carpets

#103 Yvar Monasch about Best Wool Carpets

Luke Hooke Year of Wool

#102 Luke Hooke about his one year of wool experience

Eric Bjergso Canadian Co-Operative Wool Growers Limited

#101 Eric Bjergso about the Canadian Wool Industry

Elisabeth van Delden_square_webElisabeth van Delden

#100 Elisabeth van Delden about the Wool Academy Podcast

Rebecca Burgess Fibershed

#099 Rebecca Burgess about the Fibershed

 

 

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#105 Ralf Kunert from Naturamus about Organic Lanolin

Image of Ralf Kunert from NaturamusElisabeth van Delden

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Ralf Kunert from Naturamus explains how he managed to source organic lanolin, a product that did not exist before in the market, through cross-industry collaboration.

About Naturamus

Ralf Kunert is the Managing Director at Naturamus. The company specializes in sourcing natural organic raw materials such as lanolin. Naturamus is part of WALA, a German-based company in the natural cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry founded in 1935.

Connect with Naturamus here

Naturamus website: https://www.naturamus.de/

Fuhrmann website: https://fuhrmann-argentina.com/

The Schneider Group website: https://www.gschneider.com/

 

Watch the Interview on YouTube

This interview with Ralf Kunert was recorded on video and you can watch it here if you prefer it to just listening:

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Episodes mentioned in this episode

#80 Giovanni and Marco Schneider about building a global wool processing business

#45 Willy Gallia about growing organic wool in the wilderness of patagonia

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#104 Monica Ebert about the outdoor apparel brand Core Merino

Monica Ebert Core Merino

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Monica Ebert is the International Brand Development Manager at BKB in South Africa. Part of Monica’s work portfolio is the company’s outdoor apparel brand Core Merino. In this episode, Monica talks about the opportunities and challenges of marketing a South African merino wool product.

About Monica Ebert

Monica Ebert is the International Brand Development Manager at BKB in South Africa. Her responsibilities include managing the companies clothing line Core Merino. Monica joined BKB in March of 2018 after living and working in the wool industry in New Zealand and the United States.

Monica’s passion for the wool industry stems from her lifelong involvement in the sheep industry having been born into a small purebred sheep operation in Kansas, USA. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Apparel Design and Apparel Marketing from Kansas State University and completed her Master’s degree at Angelo State University where she focused her research efforts on sheep and wool production and apparel product development concentrating on the processing and manufacturing of wool into activewear garments. Through her research and the development of a supply chain entirely within the United States textile industry, she gained unique insights of the wool supply chain from “sheep to shop”.

Connect with Monica Ebert here

Core Merino website

BKB website

Core Merino on Facebook and Instagram

Other episodes you may enjoy

#001: Rikki Beier talks about her wool baby wear start-up Ikki Small But Brave

#005: Mac Bishop shares his insights about starting Wool & Prince

#014: Monica Ebert on how to advance your career through the IWTO Young Professionals program

#021: Philip Attard About Creating the Gostwyck Merino Brand

#026: Debbie Luffman shares Finisterre’s unique wool story

#046: Janne Strommen about wool’s important role at Devold of Norway

#047: Nick Armentrout about the all American wool supply chain at Ramblers Way

#050: Claudia Weiss about Don Baez Eco Chic

#052: Gaspard Tiné-Berès about founding Lasso Shoes successfully

#053: Isak Staats about how to efficiently handle 32 million kg of wool per year

#073: Tove Grane about her label We Norwegians

#077: Wolf Edmayr about the current situation of the South African wool industry

#084: Lorents Tvedt about the knitwear brand Dale of Norway

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#103 Yvar Monasch about Best Wool Carpets

Yvar Monasch Best Wool Carpets

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Yvar Monasch is the Managing Director at Best Wool Carpets, a company based in the Netherlands. In this interview, Yvar shares insights about the tufting carpet industry and about Best Wool Carpets. As the company’s name already conveys, Best Wool Carpets is an advocate for wool and is constantly trying to find new ways to communicate the wool message.

About Yvar Monasch

Born (1970) and raised in The Netherlands Yvar has always been interested in the sales and production side of business.
During his study of general economics at the University of Amsterdam Yvar got in charge of a piano store on one of the canals in Amsterdam.
Yvar joined Best Wool Carpets in 1998, doing a management buyout in 2000 and since then running it together with a highly engaged team.
It is an everyday dedication trying to do things differently than others and to exceed expectations.
The three core values of Yvar are:
• Always deliver on one’s promise
• If you think you know; ask and if you know; act
• All the success and all the failures are a team effort

 

Connect with Yvar Monasch here

Website of Best Wool Carpets

Best Wool Carpets on Facebook and LinkedIn

 

Similar Episodes you may enjoy

#040 Lorna tells the wool story successfully at Alternative Flooring

#041 Graham Ormondoryd on how wool improves indoor air quality

#057 Andrew Cuccurullo is repositioning the Waverley Mills wool blanket

#082 Jacob Long about re-launching American Woolen

#098 Gudrun Rógvadóttir about the Faroe Islands wool label Gudrun and Gudrun

 

 

 

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#102 Luke Hooke about his one year of wool experience

Luke Hooke Year of Wool

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Over the course of one year, Luke Hooke wore only wool, documenting his journey as his Year of Wool. In this podcast interview, Luke reflects on his experience during the last 12 months.

About Luke Hooke

Luke Hooke is the young Australian behind Year of Wool, a project promoting wool clothing and the wool industry. For 365 days Luke wore only wool and wool blend clothing to demonstrate the versatility and incredible natural qualities of wool and wool clothing. Having grown up on a wool growing farm in Victoria, Australia, Luke explored post-farm-gate part of the wool industry, promoting the wonderful fibre that is wool while also learning more about the industry.

Connect with Luke Hooke here

Year of Wool website

Year of Wool on Instagram

Year of Wool on Facebook

 

Similar episodes you may enjoy

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#058: Chantel McAlister tells the truth about wool

#062: Luke Hooke about wearing only wool for one year

#097: James Braszell about life as a shearer and photographer

 

 

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#101 Eric Bjergso about the Canadian Wool Industry

Eric Bjergso Canadian Co-Operative Wool Growers Limited

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Eric Bjergso introduces us to the Canadian sheep and wool industry. In his interview, Eric provides insights into the history of the Canadian wool industry, sheep breeds and wool qualities. He describes the challenges and opportunities Canadian wool growers are faced with and how the Co-operative is supporting its members in the same.

About Eric Bjergso

Eric Bjergso is the General Manager of the Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers Limited. Eric is a graduate of the Agricultural College. He joined the Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers Limited in 1976 and has been the General Manager since 1983.

Connect with Eric Bjergso here

Canadian Co-ooperative Wool Growers Canada website

 

Similar episodes you may enjoy

#028 Pedro Otegui about the wool industry in Uruguay

#029: Robert Ryan about the Australian wool industry

#034 Louis de Beer about the South African wool industry and communal farming

#044 Rita Kourlis Samuelson about the American Sheep Industry

#067 Marion Tviland about the Norwegian wool industry

#083 Adam Dawes about the wool industry on the Falkland Islands

 

 

 

 

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#100 Elisabeth van Delden about the Wool Academy Podcast

Elisabeth van Delden_square_webElisabeth van Delden

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Celebrating episode 100 of the Wool Academy Podcast it is time to hear more about the host of the show, Elisabeth van Delden. In this episode, Monica Ebert, a former guest of the show, interviews Elisabeth about the podcast.

Elisabeth will take you behind the scene of the podcast. You will learn how Elisabeth came up with the idea for Wool Academy, how each episode is created and what the future will bring for the podcast.

Connect with Elisabeth van Delden here:

Website

Wool-lifestyle.com Blog

 

Other episodes you may enjoy

#001: Rikki Beier talks about her wool baby wear start-up Ikki Small But Brave

#004: Peter Ackroyd on how buying wool products is an investment with a return on capital

#014: Monica Ebert on how to advance your career through the IWTO Young Professionals program

#038 Francesco Botto Poala takes us behind the scenes of Reda 1865

#048: Mac Bishop from Wool & Prince

#080 Giovanni and Marco Schneider about building a global wool processing business

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#099 Rebecca Burgess about the Fibershed

Rebecca Burgess Fibershed

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Rebecca Burgess introduces the Fibershed, a non-profit organization that explores and actively implements regional textile fiber and natural dye supply chains. In the interview, Rebecca explains how the idea for Fibershed developed and how it became an ever-growing self-sufficient community of wool growers, ranchers, designers, clothmakers and many more. She explains the concept of carbon farming, counter-intuitive funding models that work and how well-established brands can become part of the community. The Fibershed is a key solution to reversing climate change and an inspiration to the wider industry to think in new and different ways.

About the Fibershed

Rebecca Burgess is the founder of the Fibershed. Rebecca started the Fibershed originally with her local wardrobe project where she sourced all her clothing within a radius of 150-miles to where she lives.

Fibershed is a non-profit organization focused on education, advocacy and research efforts that directly drive economic development for de-centralized fiber and natural dye systems. Organizational goals include developing a working model for ‘soil-to-soil’ agriculture and manufacturing processes. Our work is designed to empower small and mid-scale farmers, designers and brands to engage in Climate Beneficial agricultural practices that bring regionally and regeneratively farmed textiles directly to the marketplace.

 

Contact Rebecca Burgess

Fibershed website

Connect with the Fibershed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

 

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#049 Dr. Beverley Henry about Wool Life Cycle Assessment

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#076: Stephen Wiedemann about Wool Life Cycle Assessment

#090 Derelee Potroz-Smith is turning wool into gold with Woolchemy

 

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#098 Gudrun Rógvadóttir about the Faroe Islands wool label Gudrun & Gudrun

Gudrun and Gudrun Guest on the Wool Academy Podcast

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Gudrun Rógvadóttir is the co-founder of the Faroe Island Knitwear label Gudrun & Gudrun. Together with the designer Gudrun Ludvig she started the label in 2000. Ever since the label grew to a well-known knitwear brand. In this podcast episode, Gudrun tells the story of how and why she started the label. She also introduces us to the Faroe Island wool and sheep industry and gives insights on how the label empowers women.

About Gudrun & Gudrun

Gudrun & Gudrun is a knitwear company specialised in hand-knit. The company was founded in 2002 by two Faroese women and the creative process of design is very closely linked to the isolation of the place.

The vision of the company is to make a difference, something very simple and yet very ambitious. The knitwear label wants to make clothes that meet the standards of conscious customers who care about each other, the environment, our common natural resources and who yet want to be stylish.

The hand-knitted collections are made in the homes of female knitters on the Faroe Islands, Jordan and Peru as part of a women’s empowerment project.

The Faroe Islands are 18 tiny islands situated in the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Norway. Only 45,000 people live on the islands. Still, it is a nation of its own culture and own language.

Connect with Gudrun Rógvadóttir

Website

The label on social media: Instagram , Facebook

 

Similar Episodes you may enjoy

#026 Debbie Luffman shares Finisterre’s unique wool story

#050 Claudia Weiss about Don Baez Eco Chic

#067 Marion Tviland about the Norwegian wool industry

#073 Tove Grane about her label We Norwegians

#090 Derelee Potroz-Smith is turning wool into gold with Woolchemy

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