Nathan Watt: NZ Wool Services trading manager on wool from NZ farms getting used for US Open tennis balls

New Zealand wool can be found in clothing and people's homes - but it's set to be bouncing around the courts of the next US Open.

Tennis balls made with wool sourced from farms throughout the country will be served up by the world’s top-ranked players when the tournament gets under way this weekend. 

NZ Wool Services trading manager Nathan Watt says New Zealand-produced wool is widely regarded as the best in the world for tennis balls.

"We've got the best-coloured wool in the world for strong wool, so it's perfect for tennis ball felt."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Ever do for ze Ellen, I could say we've got
a huge financial reporting going on. We're in the reporting
season obviously with the listed Companies've got Fletcher after six
huge loss, and we've got Spark after six thirty. And
I'm going to run you through the details of what's
been reported before we get to them. Eighteen past five
right now. Now, ki we wool is said to be
used in the tennis balls for this year's US Open.

(00:22):
Nathan Watt is the commercial general manager at the New
Zealand Wolf Services and with us.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hey, Nathan, hey, here the how are you well?

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Thank you? Now, I thought it was because woo our
wool is light, but it's actually because our will is white,
isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, certainly it's because our wall's white and clean from
vegetable matter. So yeah, our wall's the best in the
world for tennis balls, and that's why they buy it
from us.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
So being super white means that it colors up really
nicely without any blemishes or anything.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
One hundred percent. Absolutely, we've got the best colored wall
in the world for strong wool, so it's perfect for
tennis balls.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Olt if you don't have white wool, like what are
other people will looking.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Like well, it could be dark shades, it could contaminate
with black fiber, or yeah, it could be quite a
hard yellow which can't really dye fluorescent colors. So New
Zealand wolves just perfect for dyeing fluorescent colors.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
And what were you saying before, what is it that
causes the wall to change color?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, different atmosphere conditions and breeds. So New Zealand's perfect
conditions for grown white wall, and our breeds have been
made for over one hundred years of grown white wall,
so it just suits perfectly.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Oh brilliant. Now, it's wonderful that I mean, it's wonderful
that it's being used for the bulls. But there's no
branding on the balls, right, so the average punter sitting
down does not know that that's a little bit of
New Zealand being smacked around the court, do they?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
No? Unfortunately not, Yeah, because if it's a blend of
nylon mam wool, it's not really advertised as that. But yeah,
we're working with Tti and Wilson down the supply chain
to start marketing our natural fiber and the credentials that
wall has to try and promote a tennis ball as
a natural product. So yeah, we're working with that and

(01:58):
we're doing some market research the moment.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Brilliant stuff. Do you think as a result of it,
I mean, is it possible that that they love the
tennisballs that they smack around the gojez I need to
get a hold some of these tennis balls and suddenly
all these orders come in and you guys start selling
heaps of wall.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, it's already a huge market already. They tti use
around about two hundre and a half million kilos of
the New Zealand war already, which sort of equates around
about two hundred and fifty million tennibals. And that's growing dramatically.
It is in the last five years with the growth
of adels. So look, it's it's year one hundred percent.
The more, the more demand, the better. But it's already

(02:35):
pretty big demand. I'd say by day buy probably two
or three percent of the New Zealand War club already brilliant.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Hey, thank you very much, Nathan, appreciate and best of
luck with everything, Nathan, what general manager?

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Commercial for more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive Listen live
to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio