For original founders, managing director Luke Grant and operations manager Mal Edinger, it has been an interesting ride since the 100 per cent Australian owned company began from humble beginnings in 1996.

Changes in their employment conditions at Elders prompted the duo to branch out on their own into the world of private wool buying, focusing on growers around York, Katanning and Albany.

After years of paying thousands of dollars in rent, Grant and Edinger found a block on Barrington Street in Bibra Lake and built their own store, a permanent home for Westcoast, moving in in January 2000.

This move corresponded with a recent shift in their business model, whereby they expanded their private wool buying focus into offering growers the opportunity to sell their wool at auction.

Renowned wool auctioneer Brad Faithfull joined the Westcoast team and the business set about building on its handling of the WA wool market share, which has grown from about 1 per cent to now accounting for about 20 per cent.

AUSTRALIAN-owned wool business, Westcoast Wool & Livestock, has invested in certification to the
global Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) now increasingly demanded by major retail brands,
opening new markets to local growers and the opportunity for above auction prices.

The company also has partnered with AWEX to promote the use of SustainaWOOL.

Westcoast Wool & Livestock is the State’s first brokering company to gain certification to the RWS,
an independent, consumer-driven, voluntary standard recognising best practices of farmers for their
sheep and land management. It also was the first in WA to partner with AWEX and the Australian
industry’s SustainaWOOL Integrity Scheme, ensuring it has sustainability and traceability programs
for all growers to leverage benefits.