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Reactivation
of the Mill
The 12 year Project
In 1989 my life took a drastic turn. While developing my career in the fast-paced International Business world, I had decided to take a pause for some further education. I was living in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and had been away from my Pennsylvania home for nearly a decade. I discovered that my grandfather's old woolen mill was on the market.
I was seven years old when my grandfather passed in 1970. With no sons to continue the trade it was decided to sell the mill out of the family. I remember his old case steam engine and his perpetual cigar. I used to play at the mill climbing around the old equipment and trying to stay out of trouble. Though I have fond memories and admiration for him, I only regret not having known him as an adult.
Life seems to have its own plan. As a young adult in 1989 when I discovered the mill was for sale I felt compelled to return to the valley of my beginning. This was just one of a growing list of purely emotional decisions which seem to punctuate my life.
So I set about the task of resurrecting this time-capsuled woolen system. The development of this project has been painstakingly slow and riddled with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But each challenge became an opportunity for some nearly lost procedure or process to be rediscovered. With the help of seasoned wool trade veterans and former workers we have been able to make the old mill work again.
With regard to the future we intend to continue our mission and provide our customers with a unique, tangible product which represents the early American dream. Additionally, we are discovering that there is value in the less tangible product of our specific knowledge and experience. We can offer assistance to those of you who have projects in related fields through a consulting program.
We humbly extend ourselves as a sustainable resource for traditional woolen productions. And we encourage those who share our passion to offer constructive suggestions or guidance for the betterment of the field.
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