Michael Sly

“Before that trip I was more focused on Europe and America,“ the founding director – one of three - of Queenstown-based Wilding and Co said. “In Asia, there are a number of countries like Indonesia or the Philippines that don’t really cross your mind even if they have a ginormous number of people.”

Wilding and Co make essential oils from the unwanted wilding Douglas Fir pine trees that have seeded themselves over a million hectares throughout New Zealand. It’s an attractive, profitable and environmentally friendly option to poisoning the trees.

The Philippines visit opened Michael’s eyes to the scale of opportunity in Asia. At the time, the company was experimenting with means of market distribution. It now markets its fragrance compounds through doTERRA, one of the world’s largest distributors of essential oils.

“We’ve sold several million units of produce to date through doTERRA,” Michael says. “We don’t make the finished product – we sell in bulk. There’s been a big uptake in the wellness market in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Japan.”

Next year Michael will host about 250 clients and resellers from Asia as part of an artisan experience for doTERRA’s top sellers. “It’s like us going to France to see the lavender fields,” he jokes.

He’s also shown one of the Foundation’s visiting groups of Southeast Asian sustainability entrepreneurs around the Wilding operation, explaining how the invasive wildings push out native plants and fauna.

“We’re aiming to clear 10 to 20 hectares a year of wildings,” Michael says. “That’s our key focus. But we also need to integrate into the forestry system to ensure longer term stability of supply.

“That means making use of the waste branch matter left on site after logging.”