The Curtis Wool Direct Group have announced their acquisition of Irish wool merchants, Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd. The company, based in Rathdrum, County Wicklow, handles around 4 million kilograms of wool each year and the figure is expected to rise with this new investment.
 
The Curtis Wool Direct Group already buy more than half the total British wool clip via the British Wool Marketing Board and this latest procurement will also make them one of the largest buyers of wool in Ireland.
 
Daniel Isbecque and Tim Holgate, Joint Managing Directors of Curtis Wool Direct, said that it was essential that their wool traders had access to sufficient raw material to keep their customers around the world supplied with the highest quality product. The Group also owns Haworth Scouring and Combing companies and combine to make it a unique organisation which can grade, sort, scour and comb wool to the industry`s highest environmental standards. This gives a green light for further investment in the industry and provides customers around the world with planet saving credentials for wool processed and supplied by the Group.
 
Daniel Isbecque said: "Our reputation for delivering the right quality of wool and combed tops at the right time and at the right price is second to none in the industry. Our business has grown rapidly in the face of tough competition from synthetic fibres but we see a bright future for wool and we have put our money where our forecasts take us!"

Joint MD Tim Holgate believes the timing for this acquisition is perfect: "We will benefit even more from economies of scale and that will make us ultra competitive in the world markets. It is never easy to sell wool but we have an advantage and we are happy to pass that on to our customers. We will never forget who our customers are and what they expect from us. We will do all we can to exceed their expectations."
 
When the Prince of Wales visited Haworth Scouring Company in 2010, just before the new carding and combing plant was installed, he was informed by Curtis that his Campaign for Wool gave the organisation the confidence to embark on the most significant investment programme that the early stage wool processing and merchanting sector had seen for many years. This is further evidence of the success of the Campaign.