NZ wool picked up in US

Two more American carpet manufacturers have signed deals to buy a new clean, green New Zealand wool brand.

Wool Partners International (WPI), a joint venture between rural services company PGG Wrightson and farmers, unveiled its Laneve brand in July.

At the same time it announced its first two agreements to supply US carpet makers - San Francisco-based Bellbridge Carpets, and Glen Eden Wool Carpet in Calhoun, Georgia.

Now WPI has added Cartersville, Georgia manufacturer J. Mish and Bloomsburg Carpet Industries of Philadelphia.

Chief executive Iain Abercrombie said WPI had 16 partners in North America and Europe at various stages of signing up to the Laneve programme.

Laneve promises customers a pure New Zealand wool carpet that has been produced to specific standards of farming practice, animal welfare, sustainability and traceability.

The aim is to secure direct supply contracts and reposition wool as a luxury, green fibre, thereby commanding higher prices and providing better returns to Kiwi wool growers.

Rival wool company Elders Primary Wool launched a similar brand, Just Shorn, at the annual Fieldays event in June.

It aims to reposition wool in the same way, but by going directly through US carpet retailers.

Only 2 per cent of carpets sold in the US are made of wool. Residential customers are typically affluent people who buy the natural fibre because their interior designer recommends it.

Abercrombie said the clean green story gave carpet makers leverage. "They obviously see a strong marketing opportunity there in presenting this as New Zealand wool."

He said Laneve also gave them confidence that they were buying pure New Zealand wool.