REX Bennett's 10-day trip to China has bolstered his confidence in the wool industry and its global support.
Mr Bennett, an Elders district wool manager based at Wangaratta, won the prize when he took out the National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia's wool broker award last year.
The council's executive director Chris Wilcox was the guide on the trip, which included visits to different types of milling operations; an information session telling Chinese mill technicians about Australia's wool producing and selling systems; and finally taking part in the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) Congress.
"One of the things that stood out to me was the amount of investment these mill owners have made - it is pleasing to see that they're in it for the long term and should be a confidence boost to the Australian industry," Mr Bennett said.
Since going to China two years ago with an Elders group, Mr Bennett noticed there had been a huge push for the industry to become more "green" and tighten regulations on power production and resource and waste management.
He said the mill owners and the 400 global industry leaders at the congress considered wool to be of high and consistent quality.
"And there was a sense of optimism on the trip - when we left for China, the wool the market had five weeks of upside since Easter so it was really good timing to go."
Mr Bennett said the congress's theme "Wool Forward" gave him plenty of food for thought, with "great" speakers presenting on topics including sustainable production and long-lasting attributes.
"It's clean and green and these natural attributes are to be celebrate," Mr Bennett said.