Tag Archive for: wool industry

Francesco Botto Reda and Rewoolution

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

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Francesco Botto Poala is the Chief Operating Officer at the well known vertically integrated weaving company Reda 1865. In this episode, Francesco talks about how the company strives for continued success through quality and innovation. Francesco explains that innovation means to be always willing to change and adapt in order to survive. Traceability, animal welfare and environmental standards are of highest concern to Reda. Francesco explains how the company tracks and traces its own progress in these areas while setting the benchmark for other companies as well. Francesco goes even so far to discuss why consumers are also asking for this kind of level of transparency and responsibility.
Listeners will also gain insights on the challenges of founding the sportsbrand Rewoolution and the brand’s social media activities.

About Francesco Botto Poala

Born in Biella in 1964, after completing school education in Italy, Francesco Botto Poala starts building his 360° experience, both at home and abroad. Francesco works in London for a fabrics wholesale and for a short period also for a mill in Scotland, then for a garment manufacturer in Italy and after this experience, he joins Reda the family company in textile since 1865.

Francesco was appointed for 4 years as a Sales Manager for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and around 1989 he got his first experience with wool working for 3 months for the Australian Wool Corporation, and after buying wool for several years in 1993 the company bought the first of the 3 farms in New Zealand. This gave Francesco the opportunity to get experience also in the farming side and in classing wool. Since 1990 he started to get a lot of knowledge of the business in all its different facets, and in particular, he was more and more involved in the mill’s production process and the related technical aspects. Francesco was responsible for raw material supply and right after he was in charge of the farms in New Zealand.  But, it is in the year 2000, that he became the mill’s COO.

Francesco is also a board member of different companies and President of the spinning mill CB Spa and a combing mill Pettinatura lane Romagnano Sesia Spa.

Connect with Francesco Botto Poala here

Reda 1865 website

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Dave Maslen

#092: Dave Maslen about giving consumers a great wool experience

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Dave Maslen introduces the New Zealand Merino Company in this Wool Academy Podcast interview. Dave explains the different benefits NZM offers to its wool growers, supply chain partners and brand retailers. He also talks about the research NZM conducted to better understand the environmental impacts of wool. Dave  is also an expert when it comes to understanding the passionate wool consumer and what it takes to turn first-time wool customers into raving fans.

About Dave Maslen

Dave Maslen is the Global Partnerships Manager at the New Zealand Merino Company. This involves taking primary responsibility for NZM’s key international relationships with its retail brand partners and supply chain partners. He is responsible for NZM’s marketing activities, maintenance and growth of existing business, development of new business, supply chain and contract management, strategic growth initiatives, research and development, and sustainability, traceability and ethical production. Dave has a background in environmental science and sustainable land management, and is engaged globally with a broad range of agencies focused on sustainability.

Connect with Dave Maslen here

The New Zealand Merino Company website

The ZQ Merino accreditation programme

NZM on Facebook and Twitter

ZQ Merino on Facebook

ZQ Merino Fibre Factsheet

 

Other episodes you may enjoy as well

#049 Dr. Beverley Henry about Wool Life Cycle Assessment
#075 Ingun Klepp on how consumer research reveals new business opportunities for wool Edit
#076 Stephen Wiedemann about Wool Life Cycle Assessment
Willy Gallia Fuhrmann Wool Acacemy Podcast 45

#045: Willy Gallia about growing organic wool in the wilderness of Patagonia

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Willy Gallia of Fuhrmann in Argentina gives insights about why and how the company committed to growing and processing organic wool in the wilderness of Patagonia. Besides feeling that it was the right thing to do, it took a long breath before this strategic step was also reflected in the bottom line for the wool growers as well as Fuhrmann.
Willy Gallia explains that brands and retailers, as well as the end consumer, now show a growing interest in sustainability, animal welfare, desertification and origin of fibre, all of which organic wool can give answers to easily. Willy talks further about life in Patagonia where experiencing nature and living in communion with nature are part of everyday life, something that the urban consumers wish to connect to. Social media now gives the possibility to do just that.

About Willy Gallia and Fuhrmann

Willy Gallia is the commercial representative at Fuhrmann S.A. based in Trelew in the South of Argentina in Patagonia. Willy is responsible for the Northern European, Central and South American and Asian markets.
Fuhrmann, a family owned and run business is part of the family run G. Schneider Group.  Fuhrmann is specialised in buying and growing its own organic wool on a growing number of 13 farms with close to 300.000 sheep. All is washed and combed in the Trelew based mill in accordance with the GOTS organic standard.

Connect with Willy Gallia and Fuhrmann here

G.Schneider website

Instagram account of Will Gallia

Facebook account of Fuhrmann

Graham Ormondroyd BioComposites Centre at Wool Academy Podcast

#041: Graham Ormondroyd about how wool improves indoor air quality

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Graham Ormondroyd is originally a wood expert, yes wood not wool who has now also turned into a wool expert. Graham explains that wood and wool actually have a lot in common. Both are highly valued bio material that can be used to create bio composites. Within our world that is becoming more and more environmentally conscious, bio composites play an important role in replacing plastics and other materials made out of oil. Graham shares his latest research results about wool insulation as well as wool improving the air quality by binding VOCs. This interview gives a fresh outlook on future applications for wool.

About Graham Ormondroyd

Dr. Ormondroyd completed his PhD (Wood Science) at Bangor University, UK and has been the Head of Materials Research at the BioComposites Centre for 8 years. During that time he has written many proposals, papers and undertaken commercial works in all aspects of biomaterials science. Dr. Ormondroyd has over 70 publications including peer reviewed papers, conference proceedings, book chapters and edited books, he continues to publish regularly. Dr. Ormondroyd is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, a member of the International Research Group on Wood Protection and in 2015 was short listed for both the Bangor and the Insider Wales Innovation Awards. Dr. Ormondroyd is an editor of 2 International Journals and a reviewer for 6 others.

 

Connect with Graham Ormondroyd here

BioComposites Centre website
BioComposites Centre Twitter account
Bangor University website
Bangor University’s YouTube page
Bangor University’s Facebook page
Lorna Haigh Alternative Flooring guest at Wool Academy Podcast

#040: Lorna Haigh tells the wool story successfully at Alternative Flooring

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Lorna Haigh is an expert in marketing and design and brings a valuable perspective on how to market wool products and in particular wool carpets more successfully.

In this episode, Lorna explains the importance of telling the story of the people growing and manufacturing wool products. The craftsmanship involved in wool is unique and worth telling to the consumer who is ever more interested in learning about the stories behind the products. And these stories lend themselves especially well to Social Media.

Lorna also explains how Alternative Flooring takes great attention to detail into creating professional images and videos to showcase their products. Something more companies should invest into to tell better stories.

 

About Lorna Haigh

Lorna Haigh is the head of creative and marketing for the company Alternative Flooring. Lorna is an experienced marketing professional with a love of design. Her personal mantra is ‘life is too short to live in dull spaces’. And this sums up how Lorna lives and works.

Lorna has multiple industry backgrounds in advertising, exhibition and direct marketing. With all of this experience together with her fresh and energetic approach, Lorna is changing the way people look and feel about floors by bringing design, colour and a ‘textile’ approach to flooring. Alternative Flooring is now an award-winning brand and the first exclusively flooring brand to be nominated a CoolBrand for its style, and innovation. Lorna has literally led a movement where carpet is no longer boring and I look forward to talking to her about how to do that.

Connect with Lorna Haigh and Alternative Flooring here

Alternative Flooring website
Francesco Botto Reda and Rewoolution

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

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Francesco Botto Poala is the Chief Operating Officer at the well known vertically integrated weaving company Reda 1865. In this episode, Francesco talks about how the company strives for continued success through quality and innovation. Francesco explains that innovation means to be always willing to change and adapt in order to survive. Traceability, animal welfare and environmental standards are of highest concern to Reda. Francesco explains how the company tracks and traces its own progress in these areas while setting the benchmark for other companies as well. Francesco goes even so far to discuss why consumers are also asking for this kind of level of transparency and responsibility.
Listeners will also gain insights on the challenges of founding the sportsbrand Rewoolution and the brand’s social media activities.

About Francesco Botto Poala

Born in Biella in 1964, after completing school education in Italy, Francesco Botto Poala starts building his 360° experience, both at home and abroad. Francesco works in London for a fabrics wholesale and for a short period also for a mill in Scotland, then for a garment manufacturer in Italy and after this experience, he joins Reda the family company in textile since 1865.

Francesco was appointed for 4 years as a Sales Manager for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and around 1989 he got his first experience with wool working for 3 months for the Australian Wool Corporation, and after buying wool for several years in 1993 the company bought the first of the 3 farms in New Zealand. This gave Francesco the opportunity to get experience also in the farming side and in classing wool. Since 1990 he started to get a lot of knowledge of the business in all its different facets, and in particular, he was more and more involved in the mill’s production process and the related technical aspects. Francesco was responsible for raw material supply and right after he was in charge of the farms in New Zealand.  But, it is in the year 2000, that he became the mill’s COO.

Francesco is also a board member of different companies and President of the spinning mill CB Spa and a combing mill Pettinatura lane Romagnano Sesia Spa.

Connect with Francesco Botto Poala here

Reda 1865 website
Richard Halliday Callowie Episode Wool Academy Podcast 37

#037: Richard Halliday explains how a merino stud operation works

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Richard Halliday is a dedicated wool grower and merino stud breeder. In addition, Richard is the current president of WoolProducers Australia, the national voice for wool growers in Australia. In this interview, Richard talks about his operation and his passion for wool. Richard takes the time to explain various sheep terms such as hogget or wether. As the President of WoolProducers Australia, Richard also introduces the organisation and shares his motivation to be serving the wool industry.

About Richard Halliday

Richard has worked in the wool industry all his life. Richard, Jacquie and their children Sarah, Angus and Thomas run the Callowie Poll Merino stud and commercial sheep flock. Their property is located in the south-east South Australia near Bordertown. Richard joins WoolProducers from Livestock SA’s Wool and Livestock Committee.

Connect with Richard Halliday here

Callowie Merino Stud website
Wool Producers Australia website
Dave Maslen from the New Zealand Merino Company as guest on the Wool Academy Podcast

#036: Dave Maslen about giving consumers a great wool experience

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Dave Maslen introduces the New Zealand Merino Company in this Wool Academy Podcast interview. Dave explains the different benefits NZM offers to its wool growers, supply chain partners and brand retailers. He also talks about the research NZM conducted to better understand the environmental impacts of wool. Dave  is also an expert when it comes to understanding the passionate wool consumer and what it takes to turn first-time wool customers into raving fans.

About Dave Maslen

Dave Maslen is the Global Partnerships Manager at the New Zealand Merino Company. This involves taking primary responsibility for NZM’s key international relationships with its retail brand partners and supply chain partners. He is responsible for NZM’s marketing activities, maintenance and growth of existing business, development of new business, supply chain and contract management, strategic growth initiatives, research and development, and sustainability, traceability and ethical production. Dave has a background in environmental science and sustainable land management, and is engaged globally with a broad range of agencies focused on sustainability.

Connect with Dave Maslen here

The New Zealand Merino Company website

The ZQ Merino accreditation programme

NZM on Facebook and Twitter

ZQ Merino on Facebook

ZQ Merino Fibre Factsheet

 

Michael Jackson AWTA guest at Wool Academy Podcast 035

#035: Michael Jackson from AWTA talks about wool testing

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Michael Jackson is the Managing Director of AWTA, the Australian Wool Testing Authority. In this Wool Academy Podcast Michael explains how wool testing works. In particular he explains what wool tests are applied to each bale of wool and what the benefits are for the wool grower as well as the buyer. Michael also talks about why the wool industry testing standards are unique compared to other fibres and how new test standards get created to meet today’s consumer expectations.

About Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), which is an international body representing the interests of the world’s wool textile trade and industry. On behalf of the industry and its members, IWTO standardises trading instruments; facilitates marketing; lobbies to protect the interests of wool industry; and provides a network to the industry worldwide.  He is also the Chairman of IWTO’s Contracts & Specifications Committee.

He has been with the Australian Wool Testing Authority Ltd since 1987 and became the Managing Director in 2001.

Michael has a Bachelor of Science in Wool Technology (First Class Honours) Degree from the University of New South Wales and Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management at the University of Queensland.

Connect with Michael Jackson here

Website of the Australian Wool Testing Authority (AWTA)
Wool Wise – the website for the Australian wool education trust
Video about wool testing
More information about the Wool Handlemeter
AWTA’s Twitter account
Wool Academy Podcast guest Louis de Beer of Cape Wools South Africa

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

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Louis de Beer is the CEO of Cape Wools, an industry association representing the interests of the South African wool industry. In this episode, Louis gives insights into the South African wool industry and explains what makes South African merino wool special. Louis also tells the success story of local communal farming projects in the Eastern Cape.

About Louis de Beer

Louis de Beer is the Chief Executive Officer of Cape Wools SA.  Prior to accepting the position at Cape Wools in 2011, Louis gained extensive managerial experience in the SA wine, fruit and fishing industries whilst living his passion for agriculture.

Cape Wools is the official industry representative organisation of the South African Wool Industry, and that represents the collective interests of the wool producers, wool buyers and processors, wool brokers and traders, small stock breeders, labour and the wool testing group. Cape Wools promotes the wool communities’ interests within South Africa and internationally in partnership with the other great wool producing nations of the world.

Louis currently serves as a council member of the Campaign for Wool and represents SA’s interests at International Wool Textile Organisation.

Connect with Louis here

Cape Wools South Africa website
Video about the communal farming project