AWI working for woolgrowers
AWI CEO Bryan Fry provides readers with an overview of how AWI is undertaking R&D and marketing to address some of the key issues faced by Australian woolgrowers.
It’s my pleasure to write to you for the first time as CEO.
Since starting in the role in March, I have been on a steep learning curve on all the ways AWI/Woolmark works for woolgrowers and champions Australian wool in the global arena.
As your research, development and demand creation company we will continue to champion initiatives to keep our industry competitive from the paddock right through to the finished product.
In pulling together the September edition a theme quickly emerged – shaping wool’s future – both on and off farm.
It is a great read that profiles some of the outstanding people in our industry including Tom Hooke, Emily Stretch and Michael Wright who share invaluable insights on and why they are so positive about growing wool.
We also profile Bridgitte Brooks a fifth generation WA woolgrower and founder of the Homestead Road fashion label that focuses on activewear – one of the promising growth areas for wool.
Converting knowledge gained from AWI extension workshops into improved on-farm operations is the gold standard we aspire to, and we profile how Ben Johnson has successfully done that.
Our aim with this edition is to showcase what AWI is all about, creating, innovating & educating to create opportunities benefiting the Australian wool industry.
We acknowledge that sometimes these opportunities take longer to be realised like the ten years needed and millions of data points measured for the Merino Lifetime Productivity Project. This project has now achieved an important milestone with findings to share and lessons that can be applied in your business.
There is also an update on development of a vaccine for flystrike, it’s a complicated, high-risk project, focused on a potentially high return and an area we continue to invest our human and financial efforts.
We also have stories on Victorian woolgrower Jim Gall whose day job is CEO of R.B. Sellars, collaborating with
Cotton Australia to take on synthetic fibres, upskilling retail staff so they know just how wonderful and versatile wool is, plus inspiring high school students to consider a career in wool.
There is also detailed reporting on the wool market and the National Wool Declaration plus our handy resource guide.
Thanks for being a woolgrower and producing the world’s greatest natural fibre, and please enjoy this edition.
This article appeared in Issue 106 of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in September 2026. Reproduction of the article is encouraged and should be attributed as follows: This article was first published in Issue 106 of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine.
