MADE IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Faribault Woolen Mill Co.
WEAVES NEW DESIGNS, STORES INTO NEARLY 150-YEAR-OLD STORY
By MICHELLE VLASAK michelle.vlasak@apgsomn.com
O
perating since 1865, the Faribault Woolen Mill Co. continues to weave new products and stores into a nearly 150-year-old story. A historic mill nestled along the Cannon River in Faribault, Faribault Woolen Mill Co. website states the mill is home to a fifth generation of craftspeople who take raw
80
The number of employees Faribault Woolen Mill Co. has.
wool and create blankets, throws, scarves and accessories of high quality and comfort. As the oldest standing manufacturer in Minnesota, Ross Widmoyer, the company’s president and chief operating officer, finds the history of the mill a unique part of its story. Other qualities that Widmoyer says
1892
18 | APRIL 2021 | Southern MINN biz
The year the mill was built.
makes the company unique are its great and timeless products, as well as its team members. Customers, he says, often talk about how they passed blankets down from generation to generation. “Craftspeople of third and fourth generations are here,” said Widmoyer. “There’s a particular energy and passion present that
1865
The year the company was formed.
22
The number of steps in the manufacturing process.
