Rod Franklyn

Rod Franklyn is the Owner & Managing Director of TWT.

With over 45 years in the wool industry, he has experienced many different periods of wool supply, manufacturing demand, export destinations and technology.

His wealth of experience is complemented by a genuine consideration for the health and longevity of the wool industry.

Rod says, “We offer our services to customers small and large and pride ourselves in providing a quality service as well as a quality product. We are not just a trading company, we are a wool company and we can advise mills in the best possible wool types required to achieve their desired outcome”.

Through Rod’s mentorship and consistent business ethics, Techwool has forged mutually rewarding partnerships with local woolgrowers and export clients.

Evan Croake

Born into a sixth generation wool farming family, you could say that wool is in Evan’s blood.
From early on working as a trainee wool buyer, Evan resolved that he wanted to experience all angles of the industry, which even included moving to China for a stint at Top Making.

With a broad knowledge of client’s needs under his belt and a thorough understanding of wool buying, Evan relished the challenge of returning home to apply his skills.
He returned to wool buying, diligently gaining an in depth knowledge of our industry.

Moving forward from his role managing the trading division for a major Australian wool company,
Evan has recently stepped into the role of export trade manager for Techwool.

Working closely with Rod Franklyn, Evan loves the ‘mission’ of ensuring the client’s needs are met beyond expectation both in quality and timing.
His passion for the ‘wool world’ is evident as he travels domestically and throughout the globe visiting clients. He enjoys the opportunity to meet new clients and above all, “trying to find new and different ways we can work together”.
As a wool grower’s son, Evan gets a lot of joy being part of the process, seeing the diverse range of end uses applied to what he terms as ‘our wonderful, magical fibre’.

Simon Reeve

Simon Reeve recently joined Techwool in the role of General Manager and brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in business and financial management within the logistics and export sector.

Having worked with global shipbroking giant Braemar ACM for nearly a decade, Simon brings with him his expertise in systems, structure and financial controls that saw him rapidly develop and grow their Singapore business into an industry leader.

Simon has dealt with all manner of commodities including wool and cotton, shipping them throughout the world. His experience in exports and foreign currency will also be invaluable, as is his proven record of steering business through significant change and volatile economic periods (GFC).

“I’m really excited to be working with Techwool and getting to know all the intricacies of the wool industry. With exports continuing to grow and Australia’s wool growers experiencing the best conditions in years, I’m looking forward to working with this long awaited increase in demand, and learning what makes the industry tick, and how best to sustain the current growth will be my great challenge”.

Out of the office Simon enjoys getting on the tennis court and competing in tournaments, he has held a national ranking the past five years.

Ken Welsh

Ken Welsh’s expertise in buying crossbred fleece, merino skirtings, lamb fleece and all types of carding wool, stems from a keen appetite for knowledge and experience as a youth.

From working as a general rouse-about to shearer and graduating as a wool classer, Ken developed his love for the industry.

He progressed to wool buying in the late ‘70s, and has worked with Techwool in buying and exports for the last 20 years.

Developing a knowledge base to be reckoned with, Ken advises that there is still plenty to learn, given the growing and evolving nature of the industry.

Ken’s regular contact with his woolgrower client base combined with servicing the TWT Indian client base, gives him a holistic view of the state of the industry at any given moment in time.

Geoff Stevens

Geoff Stevens began his working career with TWT in his late teens. With Rod’s guidance and encouragement, Geoff developed his skills in all aspects of TWT business from the ground up.

At thirty-four years service, his knowledge of wool from superfine fleece to XB oddments is nothing short of comprehensive.

Geoff is Country Manager for Techwool, providing the company country depots, woolgrowers and country dealers with up to the minute market advice, valuations and pricing.

Brendon Miller

Brendon Miller is the Southern markets fleece buyer and is based in Geelong.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Brendon learned to shear and spent long days in the shearing shed prior to heading off to the Melbourne College of Textiles to take on wool classing. He has been in and around the industry for thirty years, gaining a vast knowledge of wool and its applications.

Brendon regularly sources wool at auction, and his ability to identify the best value wool (quality & price) has been proven repeatedly over the years by the high standard of fleece deliveries to Chinese and European mills and fabric makers.

Stuart Bailey

Before joining the wool trade, Stuart completed his formal education in textiles at the Melbourne College of Textiles. He didn’t stop there… further study earned him degrees in science, education and marketing. However, wool was calling and ‘brokering’ was his starting place in the trade. Stuart worked in the store and travelled the country representing his employer. After a few years he moved on to learn the buying and exporting side of things. Stu says he has always felt lucky and privileged to be taught the business by the “old timers”. Over the past 30 years Stu has never stopped learning and adding to his knowledge. He has travelled extensively representing the Australian Wool Trade, working with overseas consumers as well as processors. Stuart believes “Wool runs in his veins” and is delighted to be a member of the Techwool team.

Sarah Ryan

Growing up on the family sheep property, Sarah was always eager to be involved and helping wherever she could. Roustabouting, lamb marking or mustering, you name it, she was in there getting her hands dirty.
After finishing high school, Sarah spent a year working as a jillaroo on a sheep station in the Riverina, New South Wales. That’s where her passion for the wool industry grew even more and she knew in her heart that she just had to head off to uni to learn more.
After four years, a Bachelor of Ag Science and a Bachelor of Business under her belt, Sarah undertook a wool traineeship with Elders extending her knowledge and love of the industry.
Sarah says “I am only at the beginning of my career in the wool industry and I’m always learning and fine tuning my wool skills. Being a part of the Techwool team is really rewarding and being around this level of knowledge and expertise is inspiring. It is such an exciting time to be a part of the wool industry as there is so much scope for this amazing fibre”.
Sarah’s role at Techwool involves valuing wool and buying at auction, as well as the all-important handling of the auction preparation for Techwool’s fortnightly sales.

Phil Schultz

Shearing all day and school at night was a tough way to get your qualifications, but that is how Phil started his career in the wool industry.

Phil’s family were growers of fine wool and he lived and breathed it, honing his skills from shed hand to shearer to wool classer and on to buying in the late 80s.

Phil has managed the Techwool depot in Hamilton for the last 15 years. The bulk class facility, core line and wool testing operations providing a great base for the growers in the surrounding districts of Hamilton.

Phil provides growers with sound, well considered advice and takes pride in providing on the spot, upfront honest appraisals and valuations.

Stephen Lomman

Stephen has a motto…. it runs as follows “Good service is giving people a little bit more than they expect. Excellent service is enjoying giving people a little more than they expect” well, it goes without saying, he enjoys his job.

For over 37 years, Stephen has been intimately involved in the wool industry. From growing wool, to classing (graduating in the ’70s) and on to the buying side, his consummate knowledge is invaluable in managing the Techwool depot at Kingston.

Stephen loves working with new clients, and finds helping his existing clients prepare their wool clips for market a most satisfying and mutually rewarding task.

With eighteen years with Techwool and a member of the Wool Classers’ Association of Australia, he is well up to date with the latest wool industry issues and standards.

Keith Robertson

Keith began in the wool industry attending the Melbourne College of Textiles. Studying Wool Production and Wool Handling, he progressed quickly and landed a buying position for a large international wool trading company. Realising his love of the land, he spent a couple of years wool classing for shearing sheds throughout Australia, before moving on to various wool supply, buying and selling roles in the industry.

Owning his own greasy wool broking business in the mid-90s Keith developed a close relationship with Techwool, eventually moving across to manage the Techwool Depot at Benalla.

Keith still does a lot of kilometres, travelling to growers around the region with a ‘can do’ attitude. He just loves the whole process of buying wool, (he adds “it can be addictive”) to managing wool store logistics, blending, appraisals and valuing.

What he enjoys most about his work is the face-to-face contact with growers, endeavouring to assist through his knowledge and in depth understanding of the industry processes.

Tricia Reynolds

Tricia provides high-level service in shipping Australia’s wool to the world.

She manages all the aspects of shipping, customs regulatory requirements and documentation for more than 2500 export consignments per year. (She loves a challenge!)

Tricia has comprehensive experience in both local transport logistics and shipping. No matter how big or how small, Tricia’s ultimate reward is that Techwool clients are looked after.

Tricia regularly reviews, and refines the processes, constantly looking to improve flexibility and turn around times for Techwool overseas clients.

Cherrie Owen-Smith

Cherrie joined the Techwool Trading team five years ago. With an extensive background in corporate marketing and small business, she embraced the mission of marketing the company’s services and ethos to its local and export clients.

“The industry is such an interesting one, full of history as well as continuous innovation, it’s a joy to work with” she says.

Alongside the marketing, and motivated by a challenge, Cherrie has assumed various special projects for Techwool Trading. These include updating and implementation of the OHS plan and working through the accreditation process for the company’s participation in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.

Cherrie explains… “Every day is different, stimulating and busy; it’s a great place to work really satisfying to work with the team”.

Glen Ludolff

Having family members in the wool industry, Glen saw it as a ‘natural’ to head off to Textile College to do wool classing as soon as he left school.

As a trainee wool classer in the late ’70s, he worked hard to develop the skills he relies on today.

Glen has a thorough understanding of the market and wool types. He provides on the spot valuation / pricing for the many growers who take advantage of the Techwool Door Sale System.
He loves working with the team, and considers his 20 plus years at Techwool a rewarding vocation.

“Whether it’s a hundred bales or one bale, treating grower clients with the same respect, is our promise” says Glen.