Minister witness to Rewoolutionary Italian contract.
Friday 24 June 2011, 1:38PM
By New Zealand Merino Company
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Today in Italy a two year $5 million contract for Zque New Zealand Merino fibre was signed when Agriculture and Economic Development Minister David Carter visited Successori Reda.
Minister Carter is in Italy to represent New Zealand at the inaugural Global Research Alliance Ministerial Summit in Rome. The Minister is also undertaking a number of trade promotions and economic development events, one of which was to visit Reda mills that purchase New Zealand Merino wool.
Reda is a textile mill with over 100 years history in every stage of the transformation of Merino fibre from farm to fabrics. Reda fabrics can be found in collections such as Armani and Hugo Boss.
Francesco Botto Poala, Reda’s CEO signed the Zque Certificate of Authenticity with The New Zealand Merino Company’s Gretchen Kane for fibre ranging from 15.5 to 18 micron. A large portion of this fibre will be used in creating Reda’s new Rewoolution range of performance apparel which exclusively uses 17.5 micron fibre from New Zealand.
The value of Reda’s fibre purchases from New Zealand from 1997 to today is in excess of $80 million. Reda also own three Merino stations in the South Island of New Zealand. Botto Poala says this investment means a closer working partnership with farmers and better insight into producing top quality fibre for their products.
“The relationship with New Zealand presents a very good chance for us to tell the real story of Reda, Rewoolution and New Zealand. We are a company with a long passion for fine wool and we see that passion in the New Zealand growers so we are happy to make a deal that is good for us both,” says Francesco Botto Poala.
A key part of Reda’s purchasing strategy is to grow the volume of fibre they contract from New Zealand and reinforce the integrity behind New Zealand Merino and Reda, largely through The New Zealand Merino Company’s Zque branded fibre. “Zque gives us the right quality plus traceability plus an accreditation for best practice on the farms. This is the mindset of the market so it is important we have Zque” says Botto Poala.