Slumber Profits from Wide Awake ‘Joma’ Brand Marketing

Peter Crone from John Marshall & Co describes his wool exporting business as niche and over the last 18 years he’s developed a range of added value initiatives.

Using technology developed as a joint venture between Marshalls, the old UEB and WRONZ, Mr Crone re-engineers crossbred wool and mechanically changes the structure to add resilience, bulk and loft for the woollen bedding and mattress industry.

Under his own Joma brand, Mr Crone has been pushing the sustainable, health and fire retardant qualities of wool bedding for years. He’s a regular industry publications advertiser, attends trade fairs and has spent an estimated $6 million of his own money marketing the Joma brand and product. The wool is scoured locally and the product is manufactured in their own plant.

“We guarantee our users a fixed price for wool 12 months in advance and we review our prices annually, which enables us to pay top dollar for the best crossbred wool at auction.”

He also works closely with superfine merino producers, marketing the Forest Range bloodline on behalf of McKenzie Country and Central Otago growers.

John Marshall & Co regularly achieves highly significant grower premiums compared to those paid out to growers who opt to pay significant selling charges for little or no premiums.

Another of his joint venture companies is Otago Wool Exports Ltd, which produces superfine tops in Italy for sale to leading spinners and weavers globally.