Craig was poached by Japanese company ITOCHU Corporation - the largest wool buying and exporting company in Australia . ITOCHU was a leading trading and import / export company in various products such as textiles , machinery , metals , minerals , energy , chemicals , food , realty , finance , information technology and business investment .
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Craig ’ s expertise in buying and trading wool had attracted the attention of the Japanese company . Still , it was his Japanese language skills that added significant value to his repertoire within the company . This was the first time ITOCHU had an Australian working for them who could speak Japanese .
Twelve months on , at the age of 21 , Craig was sent to work out of the ITOCHU head office in Osaka , Japan . Craig immersed himself in the Japanese culture , studying Japanese at night and working through the day . He was an essential element of ITOCHU ’ s large-scale wool operation of the 90s , enabling communication between buyers and sellers from Japanese and English speaking backgrounds , increasing the flow of business .
Craig was able to bring both his interests together , studying and living in Japan , becoming fluent in Japanese whilst his career flourished in the wool trading industry . After three years , Craig returned to Sydney to break further barriers , working as one of the youngest non-Japanese trading managers for the company ’ s European , Chinese , and Japanese markets .
It was back in Sydney that Craig met his wife , Gretel , through mutual friends . Gretel was also from the Tamworth region , they had two children Stella and Harry , and after enough years in the big smoke , they could feel the countryside calling them home . Their life journey from country to the city saw them back in Tamworth again in 2010 , this was a far better place to bring up their family , and it ’ s been the best decision to relocate to the region .
“ Tamworth has so much to offer a young family . We are spoilt for choice regarding education and sporting facilities . It is geographically located between Brisbane and Sydney and is only a short 3-hour drive to the coast . With an upgraded airport and regular daily flights – we can be anywhere within hours . All of this is so important to me . It means we can have a regional family upbringing , and I can still manage an international trading occupation ,” says Craig .
As trends changed in the wool industry , ITOCHU ’ s wool division closed after 41 years . Craig ’ s diverse skillset saved him , and he was transferred to the Sydney food division , importing food and feed ingredients . Craig ’ s foreign exchange and trading experience enabled him to move his skills to a different set of commodities . Craig eventually set up his own company ( KAWA Trading Pty Ltd ), and ITOCHU contracts him to maintain and grow their importing business sector .
“ I ’ m now bringing in about 80 shipping containers a month from China to Brisbane , Sydney , Melbourne and Perth - both food and feed ingredients ,” Craig said .
“ As a part of my role , I was a regular visitor to China each year ( pre- COVID ). During one of my visits , I met with a steel fabricator and explained the idea for panels to make free standing horse stables . After discussing ideas with a few contacts I had growing up in the horse industry , I had some samples made up and then ordered a full
AQHA SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER ISSUE 2021