The Sheepskin Factory
1022
Our Story
Our love for sheepskin started way back in 2008 while working in a Sheepskin Factory in Napier. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight as you can imagine having to endure the stench of raw sheepskin from morning ‘til noon, five days a week. At the end of day, we would go home covered in fluff and smelling more like a sheep than a person. And that’s just the best part.
Much work and effort go into the manufacturing of sheepskin from sorting the raw materials to tanning, finishing, and creating into the products we enjoy today. The experiences we’ve had in this industry and the understanding of the processes involved made us appreciate the value and importance of this beautiful material even more.
We moved to Auckland in 2010 and ventured into making and selling our own handmade baby footwear to every craft market we could join. In October 2011, fate led us to different path when we took over the former sheepskin shop at 34 Barrys Point Road in Takapuna, where we are still located. We eventually renamed it “The Sheepskin Factory”. Exciting? Yes, but it was a rough start that the prospect of smelling like a sheep again is a more lucrative idea. No kidding.
We are fortunate enough to work closely with reputable NZ manufacturers and suppliers who have all been very supportive of us to this day. Our customer base grew as we expanded our product range and it all continued to develop from there.
In 2012, we started trading online thru Trade Me. 2014 was the year when we’ve fully developed our own ecommerce website to serve more customers locally and internationally and to promote various NZ Made products from Sheepskin Footwear & Rugs, Possum Merino Knitwear to Gift Items and Skin Care.
We had a major setback when one of our footwear manufacturers shut down in 2016. That’s when we decided to add one of the known Australian sheepskin brands in our product range to fill the gap. We know that this move can be frowned upon in a company mainly offering all NZ Made but we see some opportunities here that will ultimately benefit the interest of our customers. Other different brands with great products followed suit. At the end of the day, it’s all about offering the best options to our customers and making sure they’re happy with their choices.
In the latter part of 2018, we have opened a mini version of our physical store inside the premises of Maharlika Trading at 15c Vega Place, near Constellation Drive. We also have a few stocks in Palmerston North, where footwear and offcuts can be bought by scheduling a time for viewing.
Today, we’re still a small family-orientated business with our own fair share of challenges and victories. We’re looking forward to a promising future as we open up to more possibilities and opportunities along the way.
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