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Faribault Mill celebrates 160th anniversary
Some say the Faribault Mill manufactures magic, turning wool into its signature blankets and other accessories meant to stand the test of time. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the full story.
FARIBAULT, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Faribault Mill is synonymous with the city it calls home.
A Minnesota Mainstay
Big picture view:
On the shores of the Cannon River, on the outskirts of Faribault, there's a company that has been woven into the fabric of Minnesota for more than a century and a half.
Some say the Faribault Mill manufactures magic, turning wool into its signature blankets and other accessories meant to stand the test of time.
"Wool, as we call it, is nature's original performance fabric. It keeps you warm when you're cold. Most people know that in Minnesota," said the company's president and CEO, Ross Widmoyer.
This year, the mill will make 125,000 blankets that will bring craftsmanship and comfort to every corner of the globe.
From traditional designs to maps of the state and North Shore, the Faribault Mill is on a mission to show the world that wool can be cool.
"We're the longest-standing manufacturer in the state of Minnesota. We've been doing this for 160 years. In fact, we're celebrating our 160th anniversary this year," said Widmoyer.
Shear genius?
The backstory:
The mill was founded by German immigrant Carl Klemer in 1865, just a couple of months after the end of the Civil War, as a way for local sheep farmers to sell their wool after shearing their sheep during the shearing season.
But in the beginning, it was another animal that made the mill go.
"We still in our tour room today have a horse collar and the horse collar was for a horse named Jenny. And Jenny's job at the original mill was to walk around in a circle, day after day after day, to generate the power needed to run the mill," said Widmoyer.
The company moved to its current location in 1892, and went from horsepower to hydropower, harnessing the nearby river to fuel its operations.
One of its longest-standing clients is the U.S. military, with the mill making blankets for the army and navy during both world wars, which pointed the company towards its future.
"After World War II, as the G.I.'s came home, they bought homes and they needed blankets for their homes. And so this company really kind of started on the consumer journey," said Widmoyer.
At one point, the Faribault Mill produced more than half of the blankets made in America, but in the 80s and 90s, the U.S. textile industry largely moved overseas to China.
In fact, the mill is one of only two left in the country that can take wool from bale to blanket, all in one place.
"We can do every single step of the 22-step process it takes to make one of our blankets. We can do every single step here in this building in Faribault, Minnesota," said Widmoyer.
Spinning a yarn
Local perspective:
That process starts with a bale of raw wool, which is dyed and dried, and then run through a couple of machines that comb the fibers and spin them into yarn.
The yarn is put on a loom, where it is woven into fabric, which is eventually brushed to make it softer.
The fabric is then cut into blankets, which are edged and labeled, before they are packaged and sent to customers, with the entire process taking anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks.
"It's a complex process, but it's really interesting. And you can see it from start to finish," said Steevie Brown, director of product making and product development.
Runs in the family
What they're saying:
The mill closed in 2009 during the Great Recession, but new owners brought it back to life within a couple of years.
It now has 85 employees, and for many of them, working there is a family affair.
"So my grandma worked here for 63 years, and then I believe one of her sisters worked here as well. And my brother works here. My nephew works here. My son works here. My cousin works here. So there's a lot of us that either work here currently or have worked here," said Elizabeth Boudreau, the company's supervisor of finished goods.
Recently, the mill made headlines when it announced it is permanently cutting the price of some of its iconic blankets by $100 to help fight inflation.
"It's not the easiest thing to do, but we think it's the right thing to do," said Widmoyer.
But after more than a century and a half as a Minnesota mainstay, employees hope the Faribault Mill continues to spread the warmth.
"This is an icon. And we're proud that the company's been around for 160 years. And we feel like we're doing the work to lay the foundation to ensure it's here for another hundred and 60 years," said Widmoyer.