About Us
ABOUT WA SANDALWOOD PLANTATIONS
About Us
ABOUT WA SANDALWOOD PLANTATIONS
COMPANY OVERVIEW
WA Sandalwood Plantations (WASP), established in 2001, is a leading player in the sandalwood industry and is the world’s largest manager of Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum).
WASP owns and manages on behalf of sophisticated and institutional investors over 19 million trees grown on 15,126 hectares located in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia where sandalwood has naturally occurred for thousands of years. The WASP sandalwood production system is the combination of 20+ years of sandalwood R&D, 15 years of developing commercial plantations and 7 years of managing institutional capital within the sector. Our unwavering focus on producing a sustainable supply of quality sandalwood has resulted in the company becoming the leading supplier of plantation wood to incense manufacturers and oil distillation companies globally. With our early plantations now maturing we continue to unlock value from this precious resource for our investors and enjoy a first mover advantage.
OUR STORY
WASP’s co-founder Ron Mulder started a propagation business in 1995 which included the supply of trees to revegetation and land care projects located in the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Many of these early mix specie landcare projects included the native Australian sandalwood tree Santalum spciatum. Upon the deregulation of commercial farming of sandalwood in the 1990s and with increasing experience in Australian sandalwood, Ron was ideally placed to transition this knowledge to developing commercial plantations. In 2001 Ron Mulder and Keith Drage founded WASP with a view of rolling out and developing sandalwood plantations on behalf of investors. Starting with an initial 15 hectares, WASP has gone on to establish and manage over 15,000 hectares becoming the world’s largest manager of Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum).
Company Directors
WASP's board and management team bring together a wealth of skills and international experience covering plantation establishment, silviculture, asset management, sales and financial MANAGEMENT
Company Directors
WASP's board and management team bring together a wealth of skills and international experience covering plantation establishment, silviculture, asset management, sales and financial MANAGEMENT
COMPANY DIRECTORS
KEITH DRAGE - MANAGING DIRECTOR
Keith immigrated to Australia in late 2000 and shortly after, together with Ron Mulder, founded WA Sandalwood Plantations (WASP). Keith has been involved with the development and management of every commercial Australian sandalwood plantation developed by WASP. Keith oversees WASP’s commercial management including investor relations, finance and sales. In addition Keith has focused on the marketing, distribution and sales of sustainable plantation sandalwood products into India, China and Taiwan. Keith graduated in Chemistry from University College, London in 1986.
RON MULDER - DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY
Ron Mulder is the proprietor of New Forest WA Pty Ltd, a company that started in 1995 specialising in the propagation and supply of Western Australian sandalwood trees as a combatant to the growing problems of salinity in rural Western Australia. Research on the species and the successful establishment of thousands of sandalwood trees put New Forest in an ideal position to capitalise on the deregulation of commercial farming of sandalwood in the mid 1990’s. Building on these early projects aimed at revegetation and land care Ron, together with Keith Drage, established WA Sandalwood Plantations (WASP) in 2001. As Director of Forestry Ron actively oversees all of WASP's forest estate management.