If you ever want to find out all there is to know about wool, then Doug McKay is definitely your guy. At high school he was already running his own flock of 35 ewes on the family farm in Kaiapoi, second shearing them to keep the workload to a minimum.

“When the time came around for the sheep to be shorn, I would be setting up all the bins for all the different types, and making it far more complicated than it needed to be. Back then I’d get between $4 - $5 per kilo for my wool, but the most I could get for a lamb was around $12 - $15.”

Doug inspecting the wool with a grower Stew Gunn (left) and Hine Mullany, the Business Improvement Coordinator (middle) at Brooksdale in Canterbury.

Today Doug is not only the PGG Wool Mid/Central Canterbury Wool Rep, he has also recently been appointed a leadership role as the South Island Wool Procurement Manager (as well as being the South Island’s Head Wool Auctioneer). And with his background, experience and knowledge, there’s no question he’s the right person for the job - or in this case, for three jobs. 

After finishing school, Doug got his first official role in wool with Greg Baker from Bakers Woolstore, just north of Christchurch. As the store junior, he would do anything from pressing, to running the dag crusher, and helping reclass bales. 

On turning 18, Doug got his HT licence and it was not long after getting behind the wheel that he was transporting wool in one of the old Bedford trucks, to De Spa Woolscour.

“I recall checking the load in the mirrors, and to my horror I could see four or five bales sitting on the road (Linwood Ave), not far from the old KFC. 

“Thankfully a friendly CCC worker in a Hiab Truck came past, and helped me load and secure them back on the truck. It was a lesson I have never forgotten.” 

Doug during shearing at Brooksdale in Canterbury.

In 1983 Doug completed a Certificate in Wool at Lincoln College (now known as Lincoln University) and to help fund his studies, every spare moment was spent back in the Woolstore earning a few dollars to get him through till the next week. Then, once gaining his qualification, he moved onto the Kaiapoi Works as a wool puller for a few seasons, before becoming a wool assessor. And it was during this time that Doug was contacted by Peter and Elaine Hulme, who ran their own successful wool buying business in Mid Canterbury. 

“They were expanding into North Canterbury and wanted a manager/buyer to run the Belfast store on their behalf. I spent just under five years in the job before the business was sold to PGG Wool. 

“I still remember my first mobile phone and how it used to sit on the front seat of the truck. If I wanted to make a call, I would pull over and have to put the phone on the bonnet. Most calls failed due to poor coverage, but the odd one got through,” says Doug. 

“From there I shifted from buying wool and driving a truck, to being given my first company Ute. During the ages I have worked through two mergers, and many uniform updates, with no old shirts or ties to show for it.” 

After PGG’s merger with Reid Farmers, Doug was introduced to Dave Webster (Paua) - auctioneer extraordinaire - who was responsible for getting Doug and Dave Burridge (the now South Island auction manager) started on their journey of auctioning wool.

“He was always up for a bit of fun, as well as a great mentor, and would say to me ‘I’ll get you to do the last two pages so make sure you’re ready’. When there were three pages left he would announce that I was coming on. The first time he did it I thought he was joking, but I quickly learnt it was going to happen every time.”

Doug calling a wool auction at the PGW Wool auction room in Christchurch, with Rob Cochrane, who has now retired (left), and the late Grant Edwards (right).

Once he started as a wool auctioneer, Doug attended as many auctions as he could, and noticed a shift in the way he was able to talk to clients on the farm. It gave him the expertise to chat about things first hand from the auction room, so he could give advice on preparation, and share what the market was wanting. 

With a few months under his belt in the new role, things have been busy, and there’s always something happening somewhere. Leading a very experienced team of eight wool reps in the South Island - all managers of their areas in their own right - Doug says they all want the same thing, to see wool put back on the map. 

“We were around when wool was worth something, and we have seen it fall away slowly in price, to the lowest point of all, post Covid. Those days were the most challenging I have ever worked through, ringing clients who just wanted their wool to be sold, but the returns were far from acceptable.”

Doug frequently hosts educational tours around the Christchurch Woolstore, pictured here with Lincoln University Ag Students.

However, he does see signs of hope. Doug hears more people talking about wool, and telling stories that weren’t around five years ago. This is in part thanks to a number of cottage industries popping up around New Zealand, and also the role that wool can play in sustainability. 

“I used to look at these smaller producers and think they weren’t going to make enough of a difference because there isn’t the volume there. But the positive spin (no pun intended) is that it seems like everywhere you go, someone is doing something with wool, which I fully support. 

“In fact, PGW Wool set up an online shop, the Wool Integrity Store, with our exporting arm - Bloch & Behrens -  selling a range of woollen products that are made by our wool integrity brand partners. 

“With the main competitor being synthetics, surely the clean, green, biodegradable nature of wool should have it making a comeback in a big way. It’s 100% natural, renewable, regenerable, durable, hypoallergenic and fire resistant - just to name a few. 

Doug hosting the Devold Merino Growers through the Christchurch Woolstore, showing them what process their wool goes through when it reaches the woolstore.

“We’re yet to see the returns, but as Craig Smith from Devold was recently quoted saying on talkback, if wool fibre had been discovered in a laboratory, whoever created it would probably be knighted.” 

Outside of work Doug is married with three children and two grandchildren, and rugby is a huge part of his and his family’s life. Being with the Kaiapoi club for 50+ years as a player, committee member, life member and current president, winter weekends start on the netball court in the morning, and then end the day on the sideline supporting his club. In the summer he also gets to follow more rugby, as his son Josh plays for the Glasgow Warriors (Scotland) in the United Rugby Championship.

“It’s just a shame he is so far away, but we keep ourselves busy. Coming from family holidays in tents, boating and fishing, we now do things a bit easier with the caravan and e bikes in tow. There is still a lot for us to see in our beautiful country.”