“After 48 years, I feel like it’s time for new blood.
“I really believe that the young ones are going to come in and just be more innovative and think differently, we need that young blood in, and it’s my time to move aside.”
Wright Wool in Waipukurau will remain operating. Photo / Supplied
Wright, now in her mid-60s, will continue to be a board member for The Campaign for Wool and advocate for the wool industry.
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She said she was proud of her career, including being innovative as a wool broker (testing and selling wool to exporters on behalf of farmers). Her company handles about 10,000 bales per year.
“I think the innovation that I have brought … created a bit of change around small brokering businesses.”
She said despite her company’s size, she had been able to become part of the wider wool industry, which she had thoroughly enjoyed.
As for highlights of her career, she said sharing a meal with King Charles in Scotland (prior to his becoming king) was special about eight years ago as part of her wool advocacy work, and also experiencing rural New Zealand.
“I have got to places in New Zealand that I never would have experienced or even realised there is a road.”
She said starting out, it had not been easy being a woman in the industry, but there were more women in the industry now.
She said she would like to see more women in boardrooms and executive roles.
As for changes to wool broking, she said testing wool scientifically had only just come in when she started out and had been massive for the industry.
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She said the biggest challenge for the industry was producing high-value products from wool – and there was a lot of potential in that space – and also the dropping number of sheep in New Zealand.
WoolWorks NZ (which owns all three wool scourer plants in NZ) established WoolWorks Grower Direct at the start of this year.
It provides a streamlined process for farmers to get more value for their wool.
“[Purchasing Wright Wool] gives us access to passionate wool growers who are located in a strong wool growing region,” WoolWorks CEO Rosstan Mazey said.
Wright was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2019 for services to the wool industry.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.