Another American icon will soon close its doors. The original Woolrich woolen mill in Clinton County, Pennsylvania was first opened in 1830 and it will see its last shift by the end of this year.
Woolrich, the American company that’s made everything from uniforms for the Union Army in the Civil War to outfitting Richard Byrd’s expedition to the South Pole and was synonymous with the classic red “Buffalo Check” pattern, announced yesterday that they will be moving all of their production overseas. The company says the 40 people who currently work at the mill will be laid off and receive job transition training after the closure. The reasoning behind the decision, higher domestic manufacturing costs.
This shortens the already brief list of operating American wool mills (Pendleton, Fairbault, Dehen, Bemidji, and a handful of others).
Woolrich has yet to respond for comment and has not mentioned whether this would affect their upmarket labels Woolrich Woolen Mills and John Rich & Bros., which often featured made in USA product. We will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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