Key milestones in our history:

1991 - WSI was formed for the purpose of creating an independent company to market New Zealand wool worldwide and at that time was a wholly owned subsidiary of the New Zealand Wool Board. 

1992 - WSI commenced trading - we are now the largest exporter of New Zealand wool, exporting in excess of 40% of the coarse wool clip and 30% of the total wool clip.

1994 - WSI acquired scouring operations at Kaputone and Whakatu.

1996 - The New Zealand Wool Board distributed all of the shares it held in WSI to nearly 14,000 wool-growers.

1997 - WSI issued 40 million new ordinary shares, the proceeds of which were partly used to commission a new three-metre scouring line and build a new storage complex at Kaputone.

1999 - 10% of Kaputone Wool Scour Limited and 50% of Whakatu Wool Scour Limited were sold to privately owned Auckland-based wool exporting company, RDWM.

2000 - Further share issue to raise capital.

2002 - 50% ownership of Rural Wool Link.

2005 - Introduced a branded marketing strategy under the 'Red band' label.

2007 - WSI purchased the remaining minority interest in Kaputone and Whakatu wool scours, and the trading and marketing interests in RDWM.

2007 - Established the Purelana™ Direct Supply Initiative for wool growers to participate in vertical processing and marketing.

2011 - First raw wool processor in NZ to have its own stand at the prestigious Domotex Flooring Textile Fair in Shanghai.

2012 - Became part of the Lempriere Global group of companies

2016 - Lempriere Wool group became part of the Shandong Ruyi Corporation

2016 - Wool Scouring operations merged with the Cavalier Wool Scours