One part of Elders’ brand new wool handling business, Elders Wool, has officially launched at Rockingham, Western Australia.
(L-R) Elders State GM WA Matt Ericsson, Elders State Livestock and Wool Manager Dean Hubbard, Elders Wool Rockingham Operations Manager Ryan Fletcher, WA Minister for Agriculture the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, Elders GM Agency Dave Adamson and Elders EGM Rural Products Nick Fazekas, outside the Rockingham centre.
In an event which celebrated this key milestone, Western Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, officially opened the centre last night, alongside producers, suppliers, staff and industry.
The business builds on Elders’ existing wool offering, providing a full end-to-end service that aims to improve efficiency and outcomes for customers, getting wool to market faster and in front of international buyers.
Elders General Manager Agency Dave Adamson says Elders is excited to be bringing wool handling back into the Elders business.
“Today is a very exciting milestone for Elders. 185 years ago the Elder family first began buying and financing wool and here today we honour that legacy as we continue to adapt and innovate in a changing wool industry, with a key focus on our clients and customers,” Mr Adamson said.
“Elders is offering our clients across Western Australia a full end-to-end service that provides a quick and easy delivery experience from the farm gate.”
Ideally located on the doorstep of the port of Fremantle, the Rockingham centre combines wool sales activities with storage and handling operations.
“The Rockingham centre fit-out has been designed to provide an exceptional experience for visitors. We have created a facility that brings together growers, buyers and Elders staff to connect and see the journey and results of their wool post farm-gate,” Mr Adamson said.
“The centre delivers state of the art systems and equipment, designed to offer industry-leading innovations and improve traceability and sustainability outcomes within the supply chain.
“The introduction of new technology at this site will make real improvements to sustainability and traceability across the wool supply chain. It is hoped that this, along with the quality showfloor, will mean that the Rockingham centre will be a welcomed addition to the WA wool industry.
“Since operations commenced, we have received overwhelming support from the industry for Elders’ investment here at Rockingham, and we are excited to offer our clients this new experience.”
The Rockingham site is one of two centres in the Elders wool handling network, with another facility in Ravenhall, Victoria which has started transition to operations early this year.
Elders is investing $25 million in the wool handling business, the largest single investment in wool handling this century, signifying a long-term commitment to the Australian wool industry.
“We are very proud to be making this investment, which aims to help our clients deliver the best, sustainable wool supply globally,” said Mr Adamson.