Pulling the wool from their eyes

DONNA WALSH/Waikato Times

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: Theresa Gattung was in Hamilton yesterday telling Waikato Chamber of Commerce members about her eventful career.

Relevant offers

The process of dragging New Zealand's wool industry into the 21st century is beginning with Wool Partners International chairwoman Theresa Gattung announcing a successful launch of its Laneve fibre integrity brand at a major trade show in Germany this month.

The premium brand garnered contracts from about 12 European carpet manufacturers to use traceable New Zealand wool grown under strict animal welfare, sustainability, traceability and environmental standards.

It is part of the organisation's push to re-educate global consumers to increase demand for New Zealand wools to make wool "a profitable income stream".

The next step to revive the industry would be to look at how the Fonterra model could be adapted for sheep farming.

"Dairy has transformed the agricultural sector," Ms Gattung said. Sheep farmers were still working as individual small businesses and there was a need for collectivisation. There had already been meetings between different groups in the industry as it strove to become more commercially viable.

In Hamilton yesterday to address a Waikato Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Ms Gattung outlined the course of her career from a Waikato University management graduate to Telecom's chief executive officer and into her new role as chairwoman of the wool group. She always took opportunities presented even when they were not obvious to others.

Ms Gattung recalled how her first day as chief marketing manager at Bank of New Zealand in September 1990 was theday the bank asked the Govern-ment for a $400 million bailout.

"It wasn't the bank on the up and up that I thought it was ... but I was up for the challenge."

Now revitalising the wool industry is her challenge. "Not all of the country is suitable for dairy and most of what can be converted has been. This is the heart of dairy country but we don't want New Zealand to be one big dairy farm."

- © Fairfax NZ News