Connecticut wool mill that lost 85 jobs now employs 50, makes military fabric

A textile factory in Connecticut that shut down in 2013, leaving 85 people without jobs, is now producing fabric for the US military. The 475,000-square-foot Warren Mills complex in Stafford Springs was purchased in 2014 by Jacob Harrison Long, a former investment banker who had never run a manufacturing business.

Twelve years later, the factory employs about 50 people and supplies material for military uniforms, as Long continues his efforts to rebuild wool manufacturing in the United States.The factory's return to production came at a time when much of America's clothing and textile manufacturing had already moved overseas. Long, however, believed there was still a market for expensive, high-quality fabrics made in the country.

Rather than compete with manufacturers producing cheaper textiles in large quantities, he wanted to build a business around specialised woollen and worsted fabrics.His decision has since led to contracts with the US Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. According to CT Insider's report, American Woolen Company began supplying fabric for Army service dress uniforms in 2019. It later expanded its customer base to include other military branches and clothing manufacturers.

The business has survived for more than a decade, but Long has a bigger ambition. He wants to see more textile factories operating across Connecticut and New England, a region that once played an important role in American manufacturing. For him, keeping the Stafford Springs mill running is only one part of that effort.

What happened to the factory before Long bought it?

Warren Mills had been operating for decades before its closure. For approximately 25 years, it had produced fabrics for Italian luxury manufacturer Loro Piana, including woollen and worsted textiles, silk and camel hair.The mill's closure in 2013 came as textile manufacturing continued to decline across the region. According to Connecticut State Historian Andy Horowitz, manufacturers had begun moving operations away from New England as early as the 1920s, partly because labour and other production costs were lower in the southern United States.Long entered the picture after spending around 20 years in Europe, where he had worked in finance.

He had noticed that traditional manufacturers in European countries were still producing goods domestically, even as similar businesses struggled in America.He began exploring whether a comparable approach could work in the US textile industry. In early 2013, he acquired the American Woolen Company name, which had once belonged to a prominent American textile business.His original plan did not involve owning a factory. He considered outsourcing production while concentrating on designing and selling fabrics.

However, after studying the available manufacturing facilities, he decided that producing the material himself would give the business greater control over quality.That search eventually brought him to Stafford Springs, where the closed Warren Mills complex still had machinery and workers experienced in specialised textile production.

How factory returned to production

After purchasing its buildings and equipment, Long also needed employees who understood the complicated processes involved in producing and finishing high-quality fabrics.

Many of those skills were already available among the people who had worked at Warren Mills before its closure.According to a report by Connecticut Public Radio, the mill's former general manager, Guy Burkhead, said employees had an average length of service of 18 years when the previous business closed. Some had worked there for as long as 40 years.The new company began bringing workers back as production restarted.

By September 2014, 21 former employees had been rehired, and additional recruitment was planned.Long also inherited a substantial manufacturing facility, including 40 high-speed spinning looms and other machinery. The factory could produce the specialised fabrics he wanted to market rather than requiring him to build an entirely new operation.Initially, American Woolen concentrated on premium textiles intended to compete with European products.

Its business later developed another important source of demand when it secured military contracts in 2019.

Rebuilding American textile manufacturing remains difficult

Although American Woolen has continued operating, the wider industry faces challenges. CT Insider reported that 96.7% of clothing purchased in the United States in 2024 was imported, citing the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Meanwhile, the American Sheep Industry Association estimates that the country exports between 60% and 75% of its wool fibres.Long believes this shows that the United States has both wool supplies and customers, but lacks enough domestic manufacturing facilities to connect the two. "We have sheep and we have consumers. We don't have manufacturing," he told CT Insider.However, expanding production would also require workers with specialised skills and businesses capable of turning fabric into finished clothing.Margaret Bishop, a supply chain expert at Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, acknowledged Long's achievement in keeping the factory operating for 12 years.

She also raised concerns about the limited number of domestic sewing factories and whether younger workers would replace experienced employees approaching retirement.Despite these challenges, Long continues to pursue his plans for New England's textile industry. American Woolen now works with regional manufacturers, including Dow Cover Company in New Haven and New England Shirt Company in Massachusetts.He also sees opportunities among younger consumers interested in durable clothing and second-hand garments. His longer-term aim is to encourage more high-quality textile production in the region.