It was now sought after by sock makers and high-end apparel companies.
The Nuyarn technology caught the eye of the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust (AGMARDT) board, which approved a grant last year to help the company develop overseas markets.
The Merino Company chief executive Andy Wynne said the grant helped in a number of ways.
“The grant provided TMC with support to develop key marketing tools and collateral, travel internationally to develop new markets and essentially increase capacity and facilitate growth.
“The successes of the grant can be measured by commercial achievement and job creation in the region.”
TMC expected to increase yarn capacity to 800,800kg in the next two years, which would create another 45 jobs.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy toured the factory, which is in his own electorate, recently and said it was great for both the region and New Zealand.
“It’s very exciting you can take a raw product and transform it and move it into high-value markets around the world from little old Levin.
“I look forward to coming back and celebrating the success of The Merino Company.
“We produce fantastic wool products here that go into international markets but if we can continue to add value then that’s going to help NZ’s GDP.
“It’s going to help regional NZ.”
AGMARDT chairman Barry Brook said the trust’s priority was to encourage NZ-based exporters to focus more at the market end of the value chain.
“”The grant to The Merino Company has assisted them to interact in a meaningful way with their markets in Europe, Asia and North America to better understand their customers’ requirements.”
