International Wool Secretariat

The International Wool Secretariat (IWS) was formed in 1937 to promote the sale of wool on behalf of woolgrowers and review research carried out by independent bodies such as the Wool Industries' Research Association at Torridon, Headingley Lane, Leeds, England.

IWS was formed by the Wool Boards of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and funded by levies on wool grown in those countries. Uruguay joined IWS in 1970. The IWS was the overseas extension of the Australian Wool Corporation and eventually was merged into it.

In 1997, IWS changed its name to The Woolmark Company. Since 2007, the Woolmark Company has been a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI), a nonprofit organization that conducts research, development and marketing along the global supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of approximately 60,000 woolgrowers that cooperatively fund the company.

In 1936, in response to the surge in the production of artificial fibres, such as rayon (now polyester), used in place of wool, woolgrowers in the three main woolgrowing countries, led by Australia, voted to impose a 6 pence levy for each wool bale produced, with the funds going to research and promotion. (Germany alone produced 9,200 tons of these artificial fibres in 1934, 19,600 tons in 1935 and 45,000 tons in 1936. It had been estimated that the production for 1937 would be 90,000 tons.) On July 1, 1937, they formed the International Wool Publicity and Research Secretariat, which was quickly renamed the International Wool Secretariat (IWS). Based in London, the IWS had offices in every major wool-producing country by the mid-1950s.

In 1964, IWS developed and launched the Woolmark logo.

In December 1993, the Australian Wool Corporation (formed in 1973) and the Wool Research and Development Corporation were merged to form the Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation (AWRAP). International Wool Secretariat (IWS) and Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) were subsidiaries of AWRAP.

In 1997, IWS’s name was changed to The Woolmark Company Pty Ltd (TWC).

In 2001, Australian Wool Services Limited (AWS) was formed to resolve 36 legacy issues stretching back more than 80 years through previous administrations, including AWRAP and its two subsidiaries. AWI was de-merged from AWS in 2002 and TWC was sold by AWS to AWI in 2007.