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Industry veteran Stan Mavis is to help grow awareness and demand for Australian Merino wool within the sports apparel sector. His appointment is part of a three year strategy by Australian Wool Innovation to penetrate the global sportswear market.
Mavis said:
“I couldn’t pass up this incredible opportunity to be part of this major initiative at AWI. Australian Merino wool is an amazing natural fibre, over 10,000 years in the making. When you combine this tremendous heritage with the latest in innovation and technology, it creates a truly unique sport apparel opportunity."
He added:
“We aim to dispel some of the misconceptions around Australian Merino wool."
“It is thermo-regulating in both cold and heat, ideal for all end use categories. Modern manufacturing and finishing techniques have made superior product solutions for base, mid and outer layers possible. Australian Merino is comfortable to wear and easy to care for; soft, luxurious and machine washable. It is renewable and natural."
The majority of softer fine micron Merino comes out of Australia. Australian Wool Innovation is a not-for-profit R&D and marketing company owned by over 29,000 Australian woolgrowers.
Mavis was a co-founder of Pearl Izumi in the USA.
From a 1988 sales base in the US of $150,000, Mavis first distributed, then licensed and eventually purchased the Pearl Izumi brand name in the US, building it into a $30m company.
After leaving Pearl Izumi in 2000, Mavis joined ASICS as Vice President of Apparel and Accessories. In 2002, he joined Brooks Sports as Senior Vice President of Brooks.
Mavis was part of the executive management team that sold the company to Russell Corporation for $115 million dollars. In 2006 Mavis moved to Sugoi Performance Apparel after the founders sold the company to Cannondale Corporation.
