Two senior executives from Devold of Norway were in New Zealand recently, alongside Craig Smith GM Devold NZ, to meet the growers who supply merino wool for the manufacture of their prestigious natural clothing range.

Devold owner and CEO Knut Flaak and the manager of the company’s Lithuania mill Tor Jonson visited many of their 38 contracted growers in Canterbury, Marlborough, Central Otago and the Mackenzie region, with Craig Smith and PGG Wrightson wool staff managing their busy schedule.

PGG Wrightson Wool has worked with Devold for the past five years to facilitate the direct supply contracts with growers, as general manager Grant Edwards explains.

“We have a great relationship with Devold working closely with Craig to create a strong synergy. Both companies share a proud heritage that stretches back more than 165 years, built on quality of supply and service, integrity, and valued relationships.

“PGG Wrightson Wool is proud to be involved with the early stages of the Devold supply chain, helping facilitate the on-farm relationships that are so important to Devold.

“Our shared focus is on wool quality, which extends to animal husbandry and breeding, going right through the supply chain to the production of quality garments. We provide on-farm support and logistical functions for wool testing and appraisal ready for the next stage in the Devold supply chain. Our relationship with Devold continues to develop and grow. This visit enabled the company’s owner Knut Flaak to strengthen and build relationships with us and the growers who supply high quality wool to Devold,” he says.

Devold recently opened its flagship New Zealand store in Wanaka, operating under a vertical model where every step of the process from the wool to the yarn to the finished garment is managed and controlled entirely by Devold, therefore highly dependent on sourcing top-quality, purpose grown wool.

Devold growers have been offered a new incentivised five year supply contract, receiving a fixed price per kilogram higher than the market average, with a bonus payment above the new contract base rate of $2 per kilogram for longer wool in the 95-105mm range with low VM levels. Devold 18.7 micron wool is currently achieving $24 clean kg, a significant premium compared to the market average of $19 clean kg, with the additional $2 kg if the wool is longer.