Australian wool buyer and exporter Viterra is expanding its
wool business into the New Zealand market.
The expansion would provide the New Zealand wool industry
with a "major new player", the company's agri-products
executive manager, Peter Davey, said.
Viterra entered the market with "balance sheet strength" and
good knowledge of the international wool industry, Mr Davey
said.
The agri-business company operates in three distinct
businesses - grain handling and marketing, agri-products and
processing.
It has appointed Steve Major and Alan Robertson to manage the
export of both greasy and processed wool into various
international markets and sell into the local domestic
market.
Both men had significant experience in the New Zealand wool
industry, from direct procurement and delivery of greasy and
processed wools to domestic and international clients and
markets, Mr Davey said.
Mr Major has worked in the New Zealand wool industry for 30
years and has run his own wool export company.
Mr Robertson has worked in the wool industry for almost 40
years, first with a major wool-processing company and then
his own export business. Viterra will source wool through the
auction platform and from local agents and brokers.
The announcement came a week after Wool Equities Ltd revealed
it had secured significant funding to make a rival bid for
New Zealand Wool Services International (WSI).
That followed a decision by the High Court to place a
temporary halt on Cavalier Wool Holdings' proposed purchase
of WSI to allow an appeal on the decision to be heard.
Last month, the Commerce Commission granted authorisation to
Cavalier Wool Holdings to make an offer for WSI's
wool-scouring assets.
Last month, Viterra celebrated buying its millionth bale of
wool. The wool export trading business was established four
years ago and had exports totalling 250,000 bales a year.
It started in South Australia and Western Australia and was
expanding into Victoria. It had built relationships in the
key export markets of China, India and Italy.
Viterra has operations across Australia, New Zealand, North
America and Western Canada and offices in Japan, Singapore,
China, Switzerland, Italy, Ukraine, Germany and India.
It entered the Australian and New Zealand market in 2009 when
Viterra Inc and ABB Grain Ltd combined operations.
It has a presence in both the North and South Islands and is
active in grain accumulation, marketing, storage, logistics,
malt and feed processing and rural inputs.
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