Meet our growers

The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) is proud to showcase some of its ZQ and ZQRX growers as part of a new social media video series launching today.   

The series will feature eight growers from both Australia and New Zealand who partner with NZM to provide merino and strong wool to brands from across the globe.  

General Manager of Global Supply Matt Hand said the videos highlight some of the skill, art and process that goes into ZQ certified wool products.  

“There is a huge amount of work and care that our growers put in to produce high quality, ethical and sustainable wool, as part of our ZQ certification. 

“The videos capture some of the people, land and stories that sit behind ZQ certified wool, which are an integral part of who we are as a company,” he said.  

Hand said they will be used to connect ZQ growers to international brands and consumers. 

“We work with incredible people and a world-leading product, so it’s exciting that we can share some of their stories with the brands that we work with, as well as the wider community.  

“More than ever before, consumers are demanding to know more about where their clothes or textiles come from, and what impact that has on people, animals and the environment throughout their entire lifecycle,” said Matt Hand.  

The first video features Andrew Sutherland from Ahuriri Downs Station. Ahuriri Downs Station is located near Omarama in the South Island of New Zealand.  

Andrew is a fourth-generation grower on Ahuriri Downs Station and is also a professional wool classer, meaning he can determine the micron and quality of wool by touch.  

Videos will be released by NZM fortnightly, with other growers to be featured from Otago and Canterbury regions in New Zealand, and from New South Wales in Australia. 

About The New Zealand Merino Company 

The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) is the world’s largest single supplier of certified ethical wool.  

Since 1996, NZM has led the charge in transforming the wool industry through innovation, sustainability, and direct partnerships between growers and global brands. 

NZM works with over 600 growers across three Southern Hemisphere sourcing regions – New Zealand, Australia, and the Republic of South Africa. It offers two premier ethical wool programmes: ZQ, which is a certification that sets the benchmark for animal welfare, environmental care, and social responsibility; and ZQRX, the regenerative agriculture programme that builds on the trusted foundations of ZQ. 

Both programmes are available exclusively through NZM forward contracts for all wool types; fine, mid-micron, and strong wool.  Enabling and connecting purpose-driven growers with over 100 leading brands worldwide. 

For media enquiries, please email ehoughton@nzmerino.co.nz