The company is currently collaborating on a line with designer Graf Lantz.
If you own clothing that is labeled Made in America, chances are that the apparel was manufactured right here in the United States.
The one caveat, however, can be the origin of the fabric.
Finely cut and sewn men’s suits, for example, often boast a label of “Made in the USA with Imported Fabrics” because the supply chain for American textiles can be limited.
But Jacob Long, the CEO of American Woolen Company, is dedicated to providing American clothing manufacturers with wool fabrics that are entirely a domestic product. The wool fibers are sourced from American sheep ranches, and the fibers are spun, dyed, woven and finished at the company’s Stafford Springs, Conn. mill.
Long was born and raised in Chicago but spent 22 years in Europe working as an investment banker specializing in industrial manufacturing. He lived in Italy with his wife and two children.
It was where he developed a keen sense of how European manufacturers brought a unique process of design and efficiency when creating their products. And he certainly developed a fondness for the fine fabrics produced in Italy.
In 2013, an Italian banking friend inquired if Long knew of anybody in America who would be interested in buying an Italian luxury goods textile mill in Connecticut. The mill was formerly known as Warren Mills and was founded in 1853, but had been owned by the renowned Italian wool maker Loro Piana since 1988.
Long had no formal training in the textile field but realized that American apparel manufacturers needed to add to their fabric supply chain.
“I did some research and then some analysis and looked at my wife and said. ‘you know what, we are going to buy that textile mill,’” Long said. “So, my wife and I sold everything we owned, the house in Europe, and moved the family to America and bought this textile mill in 2014.
“I knew that if Loro Piana maintained it, it was probably going to be the most wonderful, most modern textile operation in America. But the important thing is that I really believe in the dignity of U.S. manufacturing. There is an appetite for American-made consumer goods. If you don’t see it as much in America, you see it in Europe and Asia. There is a demand for it.”
The bulk of American Woolen’s sales are business-to-business. The company sells its New England-inspired fabric to brand names such as Hart Schaffner Marx, J. Crew, North Face, Timberland and Duckworth. The mill also makes fabrics for upholsteries.
“We are the only worsted woolen textile operation, which means we can do fabrics for your suit, your sportscoat and your trousers, as well as your topcoat, peacoat, hat or couch,” Long said. “We do both woolen and worsted. It all goes down to the yarn. If you have a very, very fine cardigan sweater or V-neck sweater, that is worsted woolen. If you have a very chunky V-neck sweater that’s most likely woolen yarn.”
A Perfect Partnership
American Woolen has a limited curated collection of garments it manufactures in New York City, but the company is not seeking to be a global retailer. It plans on expanding its own line of clothing in 2020 but remains committed to supplying luxury fabric to other retail brands while experimenting with different uses for wool fabric.
Currently, American Woolen is offering an eye-catching weekender bag in collaboration with Los Angeles-based luxury designer Graf Lantz (a 2019 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide pick).
“They are making bags in Los Angeles with wool felt, and we wondered if rather than using a felt we could substitute the material with a wool fabric and the result has been pretty positive,” said Long of the Graf Lantz/American Woolen Benton Carry On. “What we like about their bag construction is rather than a heavyweight bag, their bags are very lightweight where they are not only durable but light. America is known for heavier, bulkier products for bags and things and we thought a lighter bag might be more compatible with our aesthetic.
“A lot of our interest is trying to figure out how wool fabric can go in different places. Most people think of a bag as leather or bullet-proof nylon or cotton canvas. We feel that wool could actually be an addition to that.”
American Woolen also makes a wool cashmere vest that fits well with current trends in Manhattan corporate office suites.
“If you spend time in New York, you see a lot of men walking up down the street with vests,” Long said. “Many are nylon and polyester vests, but we feel our wool vests is a way to kind of make that more of a luxury item. I understand that polyester is a big thing, but we really believe in natural fibers. There are some beautiful natural fibers around this country.”
In addition to the luxurious quality of sheep’s wool found across the U.S., American Woolen is producing fabric made from a variety of natural fibers.
“There are some wonderful sheep fibers coming out of Montana, but nobody can imagine that the second largest export of mohair fiber comes from Texas,” Long said. “Not all of America, but just the state of Texas. So, we are bringing mohair back.
“We also pride ourselves on sourcing the best alpaca out of Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire. We are trying to bring these wonderful natural fibers into play.”
Bringing It Back, Brewery-Style
The domestic wool industry was born in New England in the 19th century with hundreds of textile mills dotting the Northeast landscape employing tens of thousands of workers. Today, American Woolen is one of only three remaining woolen mills in operation in the U.S.
The three historic buildings that house the American Woolen workforce in Stafford Springs have provided a boost in employment for the small city of 14,800 residents. When American Woolen restarted production under the guise of Long, it employed 22 textile workers. Today, the company has 78 employees operating 40 looms as well as the spinning and weaving machines.
“When we opened the mill back up, we hired the workers that were let go when they closed the mill about six months prior,” Long said. “We were fortunate to have this skilled workforce and we hired back a good portion of those who remained when the mill was shut down. We also have training and retraining so we kind of pride ourselves on having a young manufacturing staff.”
The luxury designs created by American Woolen are focused on trends instead of just trying to produce inexpensive fabric. And Long points out how American wool differs from the fibers produced in other countries.
“The textiles themselves have a different texture and have a different weight and different color palettes,” he said. “Our fabric tends to be more New England in focus in terms of color palette and they tend to be heavier, which takes into consideration the climatic conditions around New England. We use New England inspired colors like the greens, reds, blues and some natural neutrals, whites and off-whites.”
While keeping its focus on supplying luxury wool fabric to apparel manufacturers, American Woolen is in the process of building a mill store that is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2020.
“It will be an old mill store just like what was here 100 years ago,” Long said. “Because of our proximity to Boston and New York, we get a lot of traffic through here and we are trying to create a textile destination for people to stop off and visit the mill store.
“The whole playbook was based upon craft beer. Growing up in Chicago in the 1970s and ‘80s you had multiple breweries and the Europeans were clamoring that Americans didn’t know anything about beer. Fast forward 40 years and nowadays we have the best beer on the planet. And it wasn’t just because of the process and the product. It was because of the storytelling and, in my mind, they made beer making into destinations.
“That was the idea of opening the breweries for tours, opening up the breweries for people to understand the process and to make people experts on beer. And believe it or not, it is an approach we are trying to do with textile.”
Long strongly believes that manufacturing is going to make an impressive comeback in the coming years. His premonition is certainly a cause for a beer toast to a luxury product deserving a celebration of Cristal champagne.
“Manufacturers got the short end of the stick for about 40 years where retailers dominated, and now I feel that manufacturers are building that relationship that we will have a manufacturing resurgence in the 21st century, just like we did at the beginning of the 20th century. For at least the next 30 years, I think things are going to be better for American manufacturers.”
And, subsequently, a better environment for American employees who work locally.
“There was a time when every town in America had a bakery. Everyone is looking for the big automakers and the big companies like General Dynamics, General Motors and IBM to bring back thousands of workers. But I’m looking for the issues that are happening on a local level. The more grassroots. If you think about a bakery in every town with more than 50,000 habitants, that’s a lot of jobs.”
After years of commuting between Milan, London, Paris and Frankfurt searching for investment opportunities, Long has returned home with a rock-solid investment in American manufacturing.
“I risked everything I own on it,” he said. “I believe in it. It comes together if we can work together.”
Visit American Woolen online and follow the company on Instagram.
Editor's Note: Blogs like this one are intended to highlight companies that support American jobs and that make great products in the United States. We rely on companies we feature to provide accurate information regarding their domestic operations and their products. Each company is individually responsible for labeling and advertising their products according to applicable standards, such as the Federal Trade Commission's "Made in USA" standard or California's "Made in USA" labeling law. We do not review individual products for compliance or claim that company products comply with specific labeling or advertising standards. Our focus is on supporting companies that create American jobs.