Merino Country: Clothing fit for the whole family

For nearly 30 years, Merino Country has been at the forefront of Australian manufacturing, creating stylish, comfortable and durable 100% Australian Merino wool clothing for men, women and children.

Merino Country works closely with its network of Australian wool growers, processors and manufacturers to create timeless pieces that are not only ideal for everyday wear but versatile, suiting both hot and cold climates, completely machine washable and perfect for any occasion. Its collection features leisurewear, thermals and the famous Wundies – wool undies!

Proud Owner of Merino Country, Kerrie Richards, said the brand was born out of Australian woolgrowers frustration with the low prices of wool and the effects of drought in the early 1990s.

“Farmers wanted to know what happened to their wool once it left the farm gate and what it was actually used for. So, we decided to establish Merino Country and vertically integrate the supply and production chain, from the raw fleece through to the end product,” said Ms Richards.

“Working closely with Aussie makers and growers allows us to have input into all stages of the production process, from the raw wool to the yarn types, fabric construction, design and manufacturing of all Merino Country garments.”

Originally farm-based on the family’s sheep and cattle station in North West Queensland, in 1997 it relocated its head office, production and manufacturing facilities to Brisbane to meet customer and market demands.

Ms Richard said, “We want to know that we are giving our customers the best possible product we can. We are proud that our Merino wool is Australian Grown – it’s the best in the world. Our fabrics are knitted and dyed in Australia, and all our garments are made in-house in our own factory in Brisbane.

We’ve made a conscious decision to keep all of our production and manufacturing local. It might cost a bit more to produce here, but we know that we are giving our customers the best possible product, providing jobs for our local community and helping to develop local industries.”

Merino Country products proudly carry the Australian Made logo, recognising the iconic green and gold kangaroo as Australia’s most trusted, recognised, and widely used country of origin symbol.

“Having the Australian Made logo on our products allows us to communicate to the market that we are genuinely Australian. It highlights our support for local communities, local makers and growers, as well as having the added benefit of giving people within the local community work.”

“We also use the logo on all of our exported Merino Country garments”, says Ms Richards. “It assures our customers from near and far that these products are truly made here in Australia to our strict and high Australian guidelines and standards.”

In 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Ms Richards worked alongside Dr John Fraser, Prince Charles Hospital, and the University of Queensland to develop a three-layer Merino Face Mask. The success and popularity of Merino Country’s face masks resulted in the doubling of the workforce, supporting more locals throughout tough times.

Ms Richard said, “It’s so important to support and purchase Australian Made products - our industries depend on it. Recent events have shown we can’t rely on overseas supply chains. There is a need to manufacture as much as we can locally. The more people buy Australian Made products, the easier it is to make here as we get a better economies of scale and turnover.”

If you’d like to hear more, watch Health & Wellbeing QLD’s feature on Merino Country as part of its QueenslandHER series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnM1fRX_Z30

“Creating clothing that is good for the community, the environment and our animals is what keeps us going at Merino Country. We are proudly Australian Made and Owned and are passionate about providing customers with quality Merino garments.”

To find out more about Merino Country’s range of Australian Made products, please visit https://www.merinocountry.com/.

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