When you own a business that's been around since 1894, you quickly realize you're responsible for more than just making a product. You're helping preserve a piece of history.
One of the things Abby and I enjoy most about owning Frankenmuth Woolen Mill is walking through the building and thinking about all the people who worked here before us.
Think about it. Our mill opened in 1894. That's 132 years of employees coming to work, machines running, wool being processed, and products being made right here in Frankenmuth.
And we're still doing it today.
That's pretty amazing when you stop and think about it.
Some Things Are Worth Keeping
We have a wool carding machine that dates back to the 1850s. The mill purchased it used in 1894 for $600.
It's hard to imagine how many pounds of wool have passed through that machine over the years.
During World War I, the mill made 66,000 pairs of wool socks and leg wraps for American soldiers. We have a photograph of employees standing on our loading dock in 1918. That same loading dock is still part of our building today.
Those aren't just interesting stories to us. They're reminders of the responsibility we have to keep this place going.
Over the years, we've found old photographs, equipment, documents, and other pieces of the mill's history tucked away in the building.
Every discovery seems to tell another little part of the story.
Old Machinery, New Customers
One thing Abby and I have always believed is that the mill needs to be more than a historic attraction.
It needs to be a successful, working manufacturer.
We've invested in our facilities, expanded our manufacturing space, added equipment, and brought more people onto our team.
But we haven't forgotten what makes this place special.
We still start with raw American wool. We wash it, dry it, and card it into batting right here in Frankenmuth. Our team then turns that wool into comforters, pillows, and mattress toppers.
Our comforters are covered in organic cotton percale and hand-tied, just as we believe a quality wool comforter should be.
Some of our equipment is well over a century old. Other parts of our operation are quite modern.
It's an interesting combination, but it works.
What Makes It Worthwhile
One of the things that means the most to us is hearing from customers who appreciate what we're doing.
We recently came across online conversations where people were recommending our bedding to complete strangers. Some had owned our products for years. Others were simply happy to find a company still making wool bedding in the United States.
Those comments mean a lot.
We're not a giant bedding company with products coming off an overseas assembly line.
We're a small American manufacturer with employees who take pride in their work.
When you call us, there's a good chance you'll talk to someone who has actually been involved in making the product you're asking about.
And when something isn't right, we do our best to make it right.
That's how we believe business should be done.
Preserving the Past, Building the Future
Abby and I have spent a lot of time over the past several years planning improvements, expanding the business, and thinking about what the future of Frankenmuth Woolen Mill should look like.
It's exciting to see our products being shipped all over the country from this historic building in our little Michigan town.
But what makes us proudest isn't how many comforters we sell or how much the business has grown.
It's knowing that we're keeping something going that started long before either of us was born.
The machines are still running. Our employees are still making things with their hands. And customers are still finding value in natural wool products made right here in America.
Our goal is to make sure Frankenmuth Woolen Mill remains a successful, working manufacturer for generations to come. We want the people who walk through these doors years from now to experience the same sense of history and pride that we do today.
Because preserving a business like this isn't just about remembering the past. It's about making sure it has a future.
132 years later, we're still making things that last.
And we're not finished yet.
Matt and Abby Curtis
Frankenmuth Woolen Mill
In the works since 1894.
Learn more about our bedding and historic mill at www.wool-bedding.com and our smaller woolen goods made in our mill at www.thewoolenworks.com.