What better way to mark Earth Day 2011 than by exploring the latest innovations from a country that has long epitomized what it means to be green: New Zealand.

"Being green is part of New Zealand's DNA," said Tanya Shuster, a business development manager with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the country's national economic development agency. "It's not a marketing gimmick it just makes sense to the New Zealand ethos."

Blessed with a pristine environment, a wealth of nature's best ingredients and an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit that spawns creative companies, New Zealand is tapping into a burgeoning demand for sustainable offerings in everything from clothing to carpeting to cosmetics. The country's natural products industry is now worth more than $750 million annually and growing.

Among the latest, cool, eco-friendly products from New Zealand are

Ethical Wool and Happy Sheep:  

A New Zealand merino brand called Zque is adding a new fiber category to the country's venerable wool industry that it has dubbed "ethical wool."  The company's Zque fiber combines natural performance wool with an accreditation program that ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, animal welfare and traceability back to the source.   Likewise Icebreaker use pure, superfine New Zealand merino from sustainable sheep farms to make high-performance outdoor wear. Icebreaker even includes a "Baacode" - get it? - to trace the origins of the wool from the mountains of New Zealand.  

Wools of New Zealand is promoting a new brand called Laneve, which is  traced back to the farm where it was grown. Laneve represents wool that comes from accredited New Zealand farms that meet a comprehensive range of environmental, social and responsibility and animal welfare standards. It is carried on carpets and rugs made by manufacturer partners around the world. Laneve, along with the established Wools of New Zealand brand, are working to build a stronger desire for New Zealand wool and the happy sheep that graze the lush, verdant countryside.  

·     "Green" Wine:  

     More than 1,100 vineyards have now signed up to Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, the industry's program for environmental, social and economic sustainability.  That equates to over 84 percent of New Zealand's wine producing land or nearly 65,000 acres.

Case in point is the award-winning Villa Maria Estate, which was an early adopter of the screw cap and is devoted to sustainable practices ranging from night air cooling, renewable energy and heat recovery at its wineries to organic viticulture and hybrid vehicles for its sales team.

Natural Beauty: 

Kio Kio, a new body care line from New Zealand that recently made its U.S. debut at exclusive Fred Segal boutiques in Los Angeles, sets a new standard in eco-conscious beauty with its "wild-harvested" methods using botanical native extracts from the country's virgin forests and eco-friendly packaging made from recyclable materials.  Another upscale line of 100% natural skin care from New Zealand-based Snowberry combines the "purest, finest ingredients" from New Zealand wilderness with sophisticated packaging that appeals to the chic and fashionable. 

Pacific Perfumes has perfected an all-natural solid perfume packed in eco-friendly, biodegradable wooden pots sourced from certified sustainable New Zealand forests.  The company donates $1 from each sale to Forest & Bird, New Zealand's oldest and largest conservation organization

    Surf & Turf: 

     Sustainable, environmentally responsible husbandry is at the core of NZ King Salmon, which raises King Salmon prized throughout the world for its rich flavor, elegant texture, deep orange color and high natural oil content. The company is introducing a new premium cold smoked salmon to upscale food purveyors in the U.S. that is pin-boned by hand, brined with sea salt and then slowly smoked with Manuka wood, a hardwood native to New Zealand. Likewise, New Zealand is a key source for sustainable grass-fed beef for discriminating palates and eco-conscious foodies.  Anzco Foods' grass-fed Greenstone Creek and Maori Lakes grass-fed beef and Pilot Brands' Firstlight grass-fed Wagyu beef are two examples of this coming straight from New Zealand's pastures.

For more information, visit www.newzealand.com.

Who has time to clean carpets these days? Our fast paced lives require fast paced solutions when spots and spills disrupt our day. When life's mishaps occur, there is no need to panic when it comes to wool. In fact, wool's unique and complex construction releases soil up to 25 percent more readily than synthetics. Best of all wool is naturally soil resistant and doesn't require any protective finishes. This means that the addition of anti-soil agents, like Sctochgard, are unnecessary.

Why? Well, the soil resistant characteristics inherent in wool fiber give it the ability to naturally shrug off both wet and dry spills. Wool has a scaly outer structure that holds soil high on the pile where it can be easily vacuumed. If you have a cut-pile carpet, an upright vacuum with a beater/bar brush is the best. Just make sure to set your vacuum so that the brush barely touches the face of the carpet. If you have loop pile carpet, a suction-only vacuum is needed to prevent excess fuzzing.

Wools of New Zealand recommends using a Miele vacuum and has partnered with Miele to promote wool safe vacuums. Miele makes exceptional vacuum cleaners that offer various suction levels and wool-safe attachments, especially in the S4 and S5 series. If you use a Dyson, be careful. Many manufacturers void their warranties if a Dyson vacuum is used.

When it comes to wet spills, you need to clean it as quickly as possible, but cleaning is easy. That's because wool has a protective membrane, called the epicuticle, which helps prevent wet spills from penetrating the fiber. Start with a white, absorbent cloth and water. Blot the spot...do not rub. Rubbing can damage the texture of the carpet. Should additional treatment be necessary, simply refer to Wools of New Zealand's website at woolsnz.com or our maintenance brochure for easy step-by-step instructions on how to clean numerous types of spills.

Wools of New Zealand also offers WoolClean Kits and WoolClean Natural, two WoolSafe spot-cleaning products that effectively clean wool as well as synthetics. Cleaning solutions used on wool carpet have to have a PH level less than 7 to prevent discoloration, so it is important to use products that are WoolSafe certified. A complete list of approved cleaning products is posted on woolsafeusa.org.

Professional cleaning is recommended every one or two years or as needed. To ensure you hire someone that knows how to clean wool, we recommend using a Certified Wool Care Specialist. To find one in your area, just visit our website. 

Spring is all about celebrating new life and this spring, Wools of New Zealand wants to encourage its Premier Partners and their customers to enjoy some of the finer things in life through its "Live Well with Wool" promotion.

From April 1 through May 15, every customer who purchases $1000 or more of any Wools of New Zealand brand product at a Premier Partner showroom will be entered in the "Live Well with Wool" sweepstakes. Winners will receive a year's worth of "Live Well" services by choosing one or a combination of services including: Personal Chef, Massage Therapy, Spa Treatments and/or Professional Domestic Services. Wools of New Zealand will work with the winner to find a service provider they approve of, or pay for one year of weekly or monthly services from the winner's existing provider.

The Wool Specialist who worked with the winning customer will receive an i-Pad or a $500 cash prize. All Premier Partner sales associates are required to complete the Wool College course to become a Wool Specialist.

"Through our Premier Partner program, Wools of New Zealand is connecting showrooms with mill partners in new and powerful ways," explains Elise Demboski, Executive Director, North America, Wools of New Zealand. "Instead of promoting one or two lines at a time, "Live Well with Wool" enables showrooms to offer an incentive on all their Wools of New Zealand brand products. The program is also designed to complement any other events or sales they have running during the same time period. "Live Well with Wool" is an exciting way to draw attention to wool, increase sales, and educate consumers on wool's many "live well" benefits."

Wools of New Zealand's mill partners also benefit from the "Live Well with Wool" promotion, according to Don Karlin, vice president of sales and marketing for luxury carpet manufacturer J. Mish. "Wools of New Zealand has been a great force for the advancement of wool," says Karlin. "Not only does the Wools of New Zealand brand assure the consumer that they are getting the best, brightest and strongest wool in the world, but also, Wools of New Zealand central is constantly pressing to improve wool's "lot" in the flooring business. The upcoming "Live Well with Wool" promotion supports all Wools of New Zealand partners and is coupled with training through the Wool College that helps educate retail sales people so they can share the wonderful advantages of wool with their customers."

Wools of New Zealand will provide Premier Partners with a local press release, advertising materials, posters, promotional email, website banner ads and point-of-sale materials to promote the "Live Well with Wool" event.

Each Premier Partner will receive a sweepstakes box and entry cards for qualifying sales made in their stores. On May 16, each Premier Partner will draw one winner and submit that name to Wools of New Zealand for a final drawing on June 1. A dedicated "Live Well with Wool" web site will be created to support the Sweepstakes event.

During the promotion, WoolClean kits will be available to Premier Partners at a 50 percent discount.

In support of "Live Well with Wool," Wools of New Zealand will make a $1000 donation to Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that provides interview suits and career development help to low-income women in more than 75 cities worldwide.

As winners of a Wools of New Zealand sweepstakes, three lucky Wools of New Zealand partners--a Premier Partner store owner, Premier Partner Wool Specialist and a mill agent/sales representative--will travel to New Zealand for ten-day vacations in 2011.

"The sweepstakes contest was held in coordination with the launch of our Premier Partner program," says Hallie Cobb, Training and Marketing Director for Wools of New Zealand. "Our Premier Partners are an exclusive community of luxury leaders who are passionate about wool. We wanted to give them a chance to experience the wonders of New Zealand and to visit the farms where the wool is grown. It is an incredible opportunity that we are excited to share with the winners. Each will travel to New Zealand on different dates, but will get the opportunity to visit a sheep farm during their stay."

Wools of New Zealand held three separate sweepstakes drawings. Premier Partner storeowners, whose e

ntire sales staff completed the Wool College to become Wool Specialists, were ent

ered into one drawing. Premier Partner "Wool Specialists" earned a sweepstakes entry for every 25 square yards of Wools of New Zealand brand carpet and rugs sold. Agents/Sales representatives that assisted with the Wools of New Zealand Premier Partner and Wool Benefit System program were also entered in a sweepstakes drawing.

Drawings were held on December 15. Winners were (featured in left to right order

): Premier Partner Store Owner, Steve Lewis of Lewis Floor & Home, Chicago, IL; Premier Partner Wool Specialist, Brett Hemphill, Hemphills Rugs & Carpets, Costa Mesa, CA; Agent, Dean Dodson, Folsom, CA.

While working with and selling carpet and rugs branded by Wools of New Zealand has been rewarding in itself, the winners are excited to be planning trips to New Zealand. "I had all my salespeople do the on-line training after I did it, because I thought that the training was excellent and would be valuable. Never did I consider the trip component...but I am thrilled to be able to go to New Zealand, states Steve Lewis. "Over the past 15 years, our wool sales have exploded and represent almost 20 percent of our soft surface sales. Continuing education and the environmental component of the Wools of New Zealand program are very beneficial to our company. Wools of New Zealand represents the best wool manufacturers and I am looking forward to visiting some of the farms that supply the wool, which is made into carpet."

"I am thrilled to have won this drawing," stresses Brett Hemphill. "Hemphill's Rugs & Carpets sold a lot of wool carpet during this past year and looks forward to offering our clients great wool carpet and rug selections in 2011. We appreciate the support that Wools of New Zealand has given, not to just us, but the floor covering industry as a whole."

"What a wonderful surprise! My wife, Janice, and I are very excited about winning the New Zealand Trip," says Dean Dodson. "Wools of New Zealand makes it very easy to be excited...and I try to pass that enthusiasm on to all my customers. People like to feel good about what they do, and selling wool carpet and rugs has a feel good story. Wool is the best choice, both mentally, (it makes sense) and physically (it feels good). I believe this story is only going to get better!"

The sweepstakes followed the Wool for a Better World sales event held in November 2010 in which participating Mill Partners offered Premium Partner stores a minimum of 10 percent off wholesale prices for Wools of New Zealand brand products during the promotion. As a result of the Wool for a Better World Sales event, Wools of New Zealand donated $5,000 to Shear Joy, which enabled the donation of 42 sheep to needy families worldwide.

Because we spend as much as 90% of our time indoors, it is important that we keep these environments as comfortable and healthy as possible. Unfortunately, the energy-efficient buildings we live and work in tend to lack sufficient air ventilation, resulting in pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde, which are emmitted from resin-based wood products, building materials and other household items. Emissions from cooking and heating with gas or solid fuels have been found to affect the respiratory health of children who, because of their lower body mass, are more susceptible. In addition, the build-up of indoor pollutants has been widely linked with sick building syndrome, the effects of which can be costly in terms of reduced efficiency, productivity and increased absenteeism.

Although many materials, including carpet, pass tests for minimum VOC emissions, wool goes a giant step further by removing contaminants from the air and improving the health of the indoor environment. In fact, New Zealand researchers have proven that wool significantly reduces indoor air contaminants within seven hours of installation and keeps purifying the air for up to 30 years. Since wool has a three-dimensional structure, it also has a greater area for absorption, enablling it to remove a considerable amount of contaminants from the air without reaching a saturation point.

Since wool only represents 2% of the floor covering market, its benefits often go unnoticed. To give the unique features of wool a greater voice, Wools of New Zealand has launched - Wool Clean Air Certified, which is a LEED compliant program for wool-rich products. Carpets and rugs qualifying for Wool: Clean Air Certification must pass scientifically established testing standards, which are conducted by a certified independent laboratory.

Wool: Clean Air Certified is an Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) program managed by Wools of New Zealand. In addition to meeting the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED point requirements, the certification also meets the standards for California Section 01350 and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools CHPS.

Carpets and rugs containing a minimum of 50% wool are eligible for Wool: Clean Air certification, with Wools of New Zealand partners benefiting from reduced testing fees. Product samples are submitted by platform, which is dependent upon backing and latex type. Every platform is fully retested on an annual basis to maintain the integrity of the Wool: Clean Air certification.

In support of the program, we've created an extensive website that details the certification and outlines wool's indoor air quality benefits. Check it out by visiting woolcleanair.com 

Stark Carpet, a Wools of New Zealand partner, has acquired Rodeo Carpet, making it a division that will be run by Carmen Murray, former owner and president of Rodeo Carpet Mills. Stark will produce the Rodeo line of custom wool rugs and broadloom, much of which will carry Wools of New Zealand's Laneve brand.

The Laneve brand signifies that the wool used in the making of Rodeo Collection by Stark Carpets comes from farms that meet accredited standards for animal welfare, land management, farming and environmental practices. Laneve is also traceable to source through a code that is carried on the carpet label. The code can be entered into the Wools of New Zealand website to reveal the farm where the wool was grown.

"Partnering with Rodeo Collection by Stark Carpet is a further extension of the Wools of New Zealand program to work with manufacturers, designers and retailers who are recognized as leaders in the industry," says Elise Demboski, Executive Director of Wools of New Zealand in North America. "This partnership also demonstrates the importance of our Premier Partner retailers since several of the Laneve brand Rodeo Collection by Stark carpets are being reserved for our Premier Partners as a six-month exclusive."     

 Rodeo is expected to be a perfect fit for Stark, which specializes in custom carpet, fabric, furniture and wall coverings for both the residential and contract markets. "We're very excited that Rodeo is now a division of Stark and that Carmen will run that division," says Rick Zolt, vice president of Stark sales and marketing. "The Laneve brand complements the excellence of the Rodeo Collection by Stark carpets and offers retailers an incredible opportunity to bring their customers environmentally conscious products of exceptional value and beauty."

Murray is equally excited to be part of Stark.  "Stark will offer the entire Rodeo line, including Sparkle, some shag styles and the company's color blending techniques," notes Murray. "These products have always carried the Wools of New Zealand brand and we are excited to extend this brand to include Laneve. Through the Laneve brand we are able to tell the story of the farms in New Zealand that grow the incredible wool that goes into each products we make."    

The Rodeo Collection by Stark will make its debut at Surfaces 2011 in booth #S3024. The products offered exclusively to Premier Partners will also be showcased in the Wools of New Zealand booth #S2320.