It's a long way from a merino sheep grazing in the vast Central Otago countryside to a customer pulling on a pair of SmartWool socks somewhere in the world.
But those involved at either end of the supply chain now have a greater understanding of each other's contribution.
Recently, SmartWool's Asia Pacific team brought its distributors to Central Otago for its annual sales meeting and launch of the 2016 spring-summer product range.
The group of 16 spent time with Stuart and Lorraine Duncan, of Penvose Farms, at Wedderburn, and Allan and Karleigh Small, of Goulburn Station, at Moa Creek.
Both couples were contracted to supply wool to SmartWool, through the New Zealand Merino Co.
SmartWool is a US-based outdoor apparel brand which has direct supply contracts with NZM for ZQ merino fibre for use in its socks and garments.
Its parent company, VF Corporation, has the North Face, Timberland and Vans among its global brands.
SmartWool started as a ski sock brand in 1994 and has since diversified into performance and lifestyle apparel, selling products in 40 countries.
In 2012, Mr and Mrs Small travelled to the US and took part in various SmartWool retailer events focused on educating consumers about the performance and environmental benefits of merino fibre.
The Smalls had had a long relationship with SmartWool and the trip was a ''massive'' eye-opener. They particularly enjoyed a visit to the sock factory, Mr Small said.
The couple had also hosted several SmartWool groups on their 9500ha property, showing them the land their sheep lived on, and they, in their turn, were also ''blown away'', he said.
SmartWool was selling in the medium to high-end market and Mr Small believed the potential was ''huge''. He was also pleased to have the security of a contract.
Dave Maslen, NZM's global partnerships manager, said the Central Otago visit was ''hugely important''.
It was the connectivity between SmartWool and its growers: they could see where their wool came from and the provenance and quality, along with the effort growers put into it.
On the flipside, it was important for growers to understand that connectivity. It was rewarding to know where their wool went and that somebody appreciated the hard work they put into growing and preparing the fibre, Mr Maslen said.
NZM's model was also built on relationships and partnerships, he said.
For most of the group, it was their first trip to New Zealand, and their first time on a farm.
''Being able to see sheep up close and have sheep with frost on the surface of their fleece and feel their skin [which was] nice and warm was a real eye-opener for them,'' he said.
When they went out to sell SmartWool products, they would be doing so from a personal perspective, he said.
