Many times, the parent company's tremendous buying power and
special buying techniques can bring products, equipment and outside services to the licensee at a much lower cost than an independent could ever get.
The Harris Tweed aran and seaweed - eating sheep aran (which I
buy directly from the producers in Northern Scotland) are also spun using traditional
techniques, so all in all these yarns are all truly
special, massively different, but produced in traditional ways.