Concern at lack of N.Z. entrepreneurs

Press, 6 March 1984, Page 23

Concern at lack of N.Z. entrepreneurs

PA Wellington New Zealanders lack the spirit of the entrepreneur, says the chairman of the Wool Board, Mr Douglas McDraith.

“I do not believe that big is always beautiful. I believe that if only we had a few more people who would get in and try things out we could do a lot more,” he said.

Mr McHraith said that he believed there were excellent opportunities for the further processing of wool at the yard stage of production, but not such large opportunities for processing it at the carpet stage. What was needed was people who were prepared to take the chance and develop yarns, for example, on a smaller basis at first

Much was being done in developing new furnishings, such as the all-wool wallpapers recently developed, and new fabrics, and more

emphasis should be placed on this, he said. The Wool Board was in sympathy with a report recently submitted to it by an Aucklander, Mr Lionel Rogerson, which said that New Zealand could add up to 75 per cent to its wool export earnings by processing 26 per cent more of the clip into finished or partly finished products. Mr Mcßraith said this further processing should take place at the yarn stage. While firms at present manufacturing carpet in the United States, as Mr Rogerson suggested, had been moderately successful, they would not have been so successful if it had not been for export incentives. Joint ventures, with other countries manufacturing wool offshore, were being investigated, and a team had just returned from looking at possible joint ventures in China.

Such ventures may not be so practical in the United States, which imported a good deal of carpet made in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Much of this carpet, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium, was made from wool bought from New Zealand and manufactured more cheaply than it could be here.

If New Zealand set up joint ventures manufacturing carpet in the United States, it could bring it into direct conflict with the three European countries, which were good customers for New Zealand wool.

Research into the production of non-woven blankets was being investigated by the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, and by the International Wool Secretariat, Mr Mcllraith said.