We have launched a Crowdfunding Campaign to raise £250,000 for funding an ambitious programme to export our high-quality craft textile products to an international market.
John Mulligan, the historic woolmill’s Operations Director said:
“This is an opportunity for individuals and organisations toback an award winning Speyside Woolmill as it takes high quality Scottish products to the world and to support the continued development of Knockando Woolmill and the manufacture in and export from theScottish Highlands of high-quality Scottish textiles such as designer scarves, stoles, handbags, throws and blankets as well as more traditional Scottish tweeds.”
This Crowdfunding Campaign is an opportunity for members of the public and other interested bodies to support the continued development of Knockando Woolmill and the local community in the Spey Valley. The primary reasons for launching the Campaign are:
• To enable manufacturing to continue at this historic Speyside Woolmill.
Since re-opening as a manufacturing Woolmill in 2014, Knockando Woolmill has successfully re-introduced long lost traditional carding, spinning and weaving practices to Scotland resulting in job creation and the design and manufacture of a range of bespoke textile products.
The Woolmill has attracted in excess of 20,000 visitors per annum - a large percentage of which are from overseas and has been successful in selling its bespoke goods to those visitors.
• To build the Knockando Woolmill brand
In order to drive sales of the Woolmill’s product at commercial levels and to build a more sustainable business for securing the future of the Woolmill and its employees, we must raise awareness of its Knockando Woolmill brand. Its strategy is to take this brand out into the world via a series of new channels, products and partnerships. This will include promoting and marketing the heritage of Knockando Woolmill at International Trade Shows and the appointment of distributors in key international markets.
• To accelerate the Woolmill’s programme for exporting its unique Scottish-made high-quality goods to the world.
With assistance from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Knockando Woolmill has identified an international sales strategy which will focus on exporting our goods to customers in Japan, Germany and the USA as well as developing on-line sales to overseas retail customers, particularly in Japan.
With the assistance of Scottish Development International, the Woolmill has put together a plan to visit Japan towards the end of 2018 to meet potential buyers with an interest in our products. This follows up a successful visit to the Woolmill in June 2018 by the Japanese representative of the SDI resident in Tokyo.
Funds raised in this Campaign will be used to invest in the manufacture of goods for export, to develop the Woolmill’s export markets, to finance marketing advice on developing the Knockando Woolmill brand and to fund trade visits to potential overseas markets.
