A history of tradition,
a story of responsibility

Today's increasingly conscious consumers expect and demand product traceability and environmental responsibility. Over the last 10 years ENGRAW S.A. has carried out systematic investment strategies for the improvement of its environmental performance and sustainable production methods.

With a history in the wool business which spans over three generations, today ENGRAW S.A continues to operate as a 100% family owned business and stands as the oldest wool top manufacturing company in Uruguay. Its commitment and experience is based on both employees and management remaining faithful to its mission as a customer-oriented company offering high quality products.

ENGRAW S.A. is one of the very few South American top makers with superwash treatment facilities. This chemical process guarantees customers that fabrics and knits manufactured with superwash treated wool tops will be suitable for machine wash and tumble dry, complying with the demanding requirements of TM31.

“We offer our clients superwash treated wool tops for their production which directly translates into lower logistics costs for our customers', says Frank Raquet, Managing Director of Engraw S.A. Since 1951 we have been doing what we love, producing high quality customized wool tops to satisfy the increasing demands from our clients, always taking care of our environment and firmly committed to the wellbeing of the surrounding community”.

Environmental responsibility and innovation are part of the company´s mission and ENGRAW is pioneer in the use of wind power in Uruguay. Since 2014 the company has run almost 100% on renewable energy provided by two Vestas 1.8 MW wind turbines that generate the electricity needed for its entire production.

“On the other hand, we are also committed to diminish the amount of CO2 we release into the environment. For example, our water treatment system consists of several stages. A pre-treatment for heavy dirt removal and specialized lagoons for water waste treatments, where the residual material obtained is used to improve the 90 hectares of land around the mill. The clean water is then used in our irrigation system for eucalyptus trees. These trees will then provide the wood for our boiler, making our process 100% sustainable and renewable”, says Federico Raquet, Managing Director.

He continues “ We certainly went Green in the energy department, but furthermore we wished to show that the wools we process come from establishments involved in animal welfare ”. In Uruguay animals live according to their natural development and with the minimum human interference. This creates the perfect habitat for the animal to live a stress-free life and provide mulesed-free wools with extraordinary length and fiber resistance, which are extremely important features for the high quality of wool tops. Most Uruguayan growers follow a “Good Animal Practices” guide, published in wool.com.uy to ensure flocks develop free from stress and in their natural conditions. “It was only logical to take it one step further and encourage some growers to certify their wool production under GOTS and RWS, which we accomplished in 2018,” comments Federico Raquet.

'We have undertaken the goal to achieve traceability from farm to top and take into consideration environmental impacts and animal welfare. Everyone enjoys a good story, and consumers today are interested in knowing about the entire process behind the product they purchase. At Engraw S.A we offer full traceability and final customers can know the story from the very beginning', he concludes.