Wright Wool Sold to WoolWorks as Philippa Wright Steps Down

Philippa Wright, a leading figure in the Hawke’s Bay wool industry, has sold her Waipukurau-based business, Wright Wool, to WoolWorks NZ and is retiring after nearly five decades in the trade. WoolWorks Grower Direct, part of WoolWorks NZ, will take over the business.

Philippa Wright began her career as a shed hand before studying wool handling at Massey University. She worked for major brokering firms including William and Kettle, Dalgety’s and Wrightson’s before buying into a Waipukurau brokerage, eventually taking full ownership and running Wright Wool for 28 years. Over her 48-year career she has seen the industry change dramatically, from improvements in wool testing to the mechanisation of stores and handling systems.

She believes the decline of sheep farming in New Zealand has been driven by land use changes and a prolonged lack of profitability in wool. The shift to dairy conversions was the first major challenge, followed by the large-scale planting of trees on productive farmland. At the same time, she argues, the removal of the Wool Board in 2003 left the fibre without strong international promotion.

Philippa Wright says two generations of New Zealanders have grown up with little knowledge of wool’s value, allowing the fibre to slip off the national radar. However, in recent years the Campaign for Wool has lifted awareness and generated renewed media and consumer interest.

Reflecting on her career, Philippa Wright highlights two transformative developments: advanced wool testing, which has made fibre quality assessment far more reliable, and mechanisation, which streamlined what was once a highly labour-intensive industry.

With her business now in new hands, Philippa Wright plans to take a break. She believes the industry must focus on creating innovative wool products that consumers genuinely want and are willing to pay for if it is to thrive again.

Source: TNZH