Fox & Lillie Rural proudly hosted the grand opening celebration of their latest wool store in Corowa recently, with 150 guests joining the milestone occasion.
The event was graced by local woolgrowers, industry professionals, and dedicated staff members with insightful talks from General Manager of Processing and Innovation at Australian Wool Innovation Julie Davies, RMA Network CEO Chris Howie, and Managing Director of Fox & Lillie Rural Jonathan Lillie.
This recent expansion in Corowa introduces a state-of-the-art facility offering comprehensive Australian Wool Testing Authority Services and modern wool storage capabilities.
At the opening, Mr Lillie expressed his gratitude towards Jenni and Scott Bredden for their commitment to bringing the Corowa store to fruition.
“The dedication and diligence showed by Jenni and Scott Bredden in making this store a reality has been unwavering,” he said.
“With this continued dedication from our loyal staff at Corowa and Culcairn, we have all the foundations to make Corowa the wool hub of the eastern Riverina.”
Situated at 1-6 Header World Ave, the Corowa wool store signifies Fox & Lillie Rural’s ambitious expansion into NSW, complementing their existing and forthcoming sites in Wagga Wagga, Gunning, and Tamworth.
Reflecting on the company’s 76th year, Mr Lillie shared his optimistic outlook on the future of the Australian wool industry.
“We are in interesting times but have been through downturns in the market before and recovered,” he said.
“We are positive about the future and want our company to be part of the continued expansion of the wool industry.”
The new Corowa store offers local growers a direct channel to one of Australia’s foremost integrated wool brokers, buyers, exporters, and early-stage wool processors.
“Our commitment to regional Victoria and NSW continues as we are very engaged in ensuring regional communities continue to grow and prosper,” Mr Lillie said.
“The local community has embraced us and looks forward to continuing our active role in the region.”
Fox & Lillie Rural, a family-owned Australian company with over 75 years in the wool industry, prides itself on exceptional service, innovative marketing, and a strong commitment to regional development.
Speaking with the Free Press, Corowa’s store coordinator/wool marketing representative for north-east Victoria Scott Bredden said the team is excited about what they can achieve in the local region.
“Opening up in Corowa is a geographical decision due to the volume of wool in this region, southern Riverina and north east Victoria,” he said.
“The core line, which is the jewel in the crown for us, is there isn’t another one, except for Yarrawonga.
“Being so close to the sale yards is also a fantastic coup and the main road to into town.
“We are really happy with the response we’ve had with new clients. Our existing clients have found value and appreciated the facility being here and the speed at which we can turn wool over.
“We aim to become the number one wool receival store in the southern Riverina.”
Speaking of the wool classing course now being offered at Corowa TAFE, Mr Bredden described it as “exciting”.
Mr Bredden said Corowa’s team includes regional manager Jenni Bredden, wool buyer Gavin Corbett, wool presser Matt Conroy, Georgia Reeves, Melissa Saunders and Sharon Baczynski.
“It’s a great team. And we are hiring for a few more roles,” he said.
“There aren’t enough classers in the sheds, and the amount of people that ring us trying to find someone, and then we get wool that’s not being classed- so certainly appreciate that. It’s tremendous for the town.”
The Corowa store is set to enhance the company’s service offerings, providing woolgrowers with accredited wool testing, swift auction turnaround, and various selling services, ensuring prompt payment and freight savings.
Additionally, the integration with their parent wool export company, Fox & Lillie, enables woolgrowers’ direct access to wool users, offering significant selling advantages and comprehensive market insights.