Fox & Lillie Rural are pleased to announce the acquisition of KareeWool brokerage services across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. The Fox & Lillie Group has enjoyed a longstanding trade relationship with KareeWool via the Southern wool markets making the acquisition a logical step for both entities.
Key to the decision, was maintaining the ongoing employment of Alister Carr and Gen Butler in their customer service roles based out of Goornong and Newstead respectively. The opportunity will improve efficiencies for KareeWool, which have built up a successful business over the past decade based on personal and prompt wool marketing services.
Fox & Lillie Rural will continue to deliver a “business as usual” attitude to KareeWool’s existing customer base with the additional benefits of dealing with one of Australia’s largest integrated wool broking, buying, exporting, and early-stage processing companies.
Fox & Lillie Rural’s General Manager, Daniel Charters, said “We are extremely excited that Alister and Gen have come on board. Both businesses complement each other very well. We believe the acquisition will be beneficial for KareeWool’s existing customer base, and we look forward to working with them.”
The Fox & Lillie group is an Australian, family-owned business and proudly celebrated its 75th company anniversary last year. The company prides itself on providing outstanding service and innovative marketing options and has a strong focus on supporting regional development and investing in local people.
Under the new owners of Fox & Lillie Rural, the Goornong based wool store will broaden its focus, offering woolgrowers not only store door buying, but the company’s full services of fixed-price wool brokerage, quick turnaround from the shed to auction, services with prompt payment, and on-farm pickup and logistics support.
Fox & Lillie Rural have a significant market share at the Southern weekly wool auctions and offer a wide range of private selling options. Alternative methods include weekly Price-On-Result tender sale, privately negotiated sales, Wool trade 24/7 internet selling and Direct Mill Contracts.
The business’ integration with their parent wool export company Fox & Lillie, will mean that woolgrowers are able to connect directly with international wool users, which provides important selling advantages and comprehensive market information. The company has a strong history in wool processing and is a shareholder in a specialised open tops processing factory in China, which is an industry leader in high quality open tops supplied throughout the world.
Alister Carr said that the acquisition was timely for their existing client base, under the Fox & Lillie Rural banner, with the added benefits of more marketing opportunities for their wool including normal cost competitive wool brokerage services. Also critical was remaining in a private and family owned and operated entity, aligned with KareeWool’s client culture, with a long term and well considered vision.
Fox & Lillie Rural looks forward to continuing to provide a prompt and professional service to KareeWool’s customers long into the future.
