Woolrich

Woolrich, Inc., founded in 1830 by John Rich and Daniel McCormick, is the oldest manufacturer of outdoor wear in the United States. The company was founded for the purpose of manufacturing fabric for the wives of hunters, loggers and trappers. Later, the company also outfitted clothing supplies to the American Civil War.{{cite news |last=Worden |first=Amy |url=http://articles.philly.com/2004-08-20/news/25393185_1_woolrich-land-sale-roswell-brayton |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715005516/http://articles.philly.com/2004-08-20/news/25393185_1_woolrich-land-sale-roswell-brayton |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 July 2014 |title=Woolrich draws fire for selling forest lands Outdoor-clothing maker draws fire for selling its forest lands |date=20 August 2004 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |accessdate=22 January 2016}}{{cite news|last=Kinney|first=David|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PLlbAAAAIBAJ&pg=5612,1977357&dq=woolrich+inc+founder&hl=en|title=Woolrich Inc. fights back|date=14 February 1999|newspaper=Record-Journal|accessdate=7 January 2013}} and Richard E. Byrd's 1939–1940 Antarctic expedition.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-31-fi-42779-story.html |title=It's Back in the Black for Woolrich Inc. |date=31 May 1999 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=22 January 2016}}

The 1830 wool mill was located on Little Plum Run in Dunnstable Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. Wool production stopped there around 1843–1845 because of insufficient water supply. The company bought 300 acres at Chatham's Run in nearby Pine Creek Township in 1834 and built a sawmill. Rich bought out McCormick's interest in 1843, and by 1845 the company moved to a new mill at the Chatham's Run location. The 1845 mill no longer exists in its original configuration but its location remains the site of Woolrich's main operations, which developed into a company town now known as Woolrich, Pennsylvania.Megan E. Baker and Alan Jalowitz, [http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Woolrich.html "Rich in Tradition"], Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Fall 2010/Spring 2011.Russell E. Eshleman Jr., [https://web.archive.org/web/20160128195947/http://articles.philly.com/1988-12-21/news/26224274_1_woolrich-plum-run-coats "Firm Roots Unbroken By Growth"], The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 21, 1988. The 1830 mill was later used for storage and residential purposes; known as the Rich-McCormick Woolen Factory, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.{{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H078572_01H.pdf | title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Rich-McCormick Woolen Factory |author = Susan B. Hannigan and G. Jean May| date= May 1985 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608215052/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H078572_01H.pdf |archivedate=8 June 2012 |accessdate=22 January 2016}}

Another member of the Rich family, Robert F. Rich, headed Woolrich for many years and was also a longtime Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving 18 years between 1931 and 1951, he became known as a vocal opponent of the New Deal[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zNhaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=emwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4722,4945023&dq=woolrich+congressman+robert+rich&hl=en "Robert Rich, Industrialist"], Associated Press in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 30, 1968.[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000209 Robert F. Rich] at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. and (like many other members of his family) an important supporter of Lycoming College.John F. Piper, Lycoming College, 1812–2012: On the Frontiers of American Education (Lexington Books, 2011), {{ISBN|9781611483703}}, pp. 405 & passim. [https://books.google.com/books?id=mo_nwF-JbEwC&q=woolrich+&pg=PA405 Excerpts available] at Google Books.

After camping grew popular in the 1970s, Woolrich suffered in the 1980s due to other companies wanting to compete. For many years, their competitors have been L.L.Bean, Eddie Bauer, The Timberland Company, The North Face, Patagonia and Columbia Sportswear.{{cite news|url=http://www.twst.com/notes/articles/paa202.html|title=Sean Beers|date=27 February 2002|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=7 January 2013}} In 1990, Woolrich let go of half of their 2,600 employees nationwide by then-president S. Wade Judy{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB5CDB2ADCCE56B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Woolrich Seeking to Dress-up 168-Year Clothing Tradition|date=18 January 1999|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|accessdate=7 January 2013}} due to fewer orders.{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72622743.html?dids=72622743:72622743&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+06%2C+1990&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=DIGEST&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216162222/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72622743.html?dids=72622743:72622743&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+06,+1990&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=DIGEST&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 February 2013 |title=Digest|date=6 October 1990|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=7 January 2013}} That same year, the company also closed six plants in Pennsylvania, Nebraska and Colorado for about five years and outsourced the work to Mexico, leaving them with about 1,400 employees. Since then, the employment numbers have continued changing, with about 500 as of 2008{{cite news|url=http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/502479.html?nav=5009|title=Woolrich to close Jersey Shore sewing plant|date=15 April 2008|publisher=lockhaven.com|accessdate=7 January 2013}} and about 200 in 2013.{{cite news|last=Rolley|first=Bob |url=http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/592548/Woolrich-Inc--passes-the-torch.html?nav=5011|title=Woolrich Inc. passes the torch|date=May 15, 2013|publisher=sungazette.com}} In 1998, Woolrich provided the clothing used in the film The Horse Whisperer.

In 2007, the company's long-time president and CEO, Roswell Brayton, Jr., died after collapsing at the Woolrich headquarters. He was a sixth generation member of the Rich family and joined the company in 1977 and became president in 1996 and CEO the next year.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/13/woolrich_ceo_roswell_brayton_jr_dies_after_collapsing/|title=Woolrich CEO Roswell Brayton Jr. dies after collapsing|date=13 March 2007|publisher=boston.com|accessdate=7 January 2013}} The former president, Nick Brayton, and vice president Joshua Rich, represented the seventh and eighth generations of the Rich family to serve in the management of the company.Josh Baron, [http://www.airtranmagazine.com/features/2012/12/wooly-mammoth "Wooly Mammoth"], GO Magazine, December 2012.

In January 2013, John Ranelli was named president and CEO of Central Garden & Pet Company and retained his "non-executive" chairman of the board title at Woolrich.{{cite web|url=http://ir.central.com/profiles/investor/ResLibraryView.asp?ResLibraryID=59667&GoTopage=1&Category=2056&BzID=2083&G=399|title=John R. Ranelli Named President and CEO of Central Garden & Pet Company|date=7 January 2013|publisher=central.com|accessdate=15 May 2013}} In May, the company announced they had plans to move more of their workforce to the United States.

In September 2013, Woolrich partnered with Portland Product Werks (PPW) to manufacture shoes, a new line for Woolrich. PPW is led by Sean Beers, a former employee of Columbia Sportwear, a Woolrich competitor. They debuted the Woolrich footwear line at the Salt Lake City Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in January 2014, Las Vegas in February and in Fall 2014 in New York.{{cite news|author=Allan Brettman|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2013/09/woolrich_teams_with_portland_f.html|title=Woolrich teams with Portland footwear company|date=18 September 2013|newspaper=The Oregonian |accessdate=22 January 2016}}

In 2014, Woolrich collaborated with Dogfish Head Brewery by releasing the limited edition Pennsylvania Tuxedo, a spruce-enhanced pale ale.{{cite news|url=http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/entertainment/culture/2015/01/08/15-for-15/21427647/|title=15 cant-miss things im Delmarva in 2015|date=8 January 2015|newspaper=The Daily Times (Salisbury)|accessdate=25 January 2015}}{{cite magazine|url=http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-10/dogfish-head-moves-from-extreme-beer-to-nautical-apparel|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150125081601/http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-10/dogfish-head-moves-from-extreme-beer-to-nautical-apparel|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2015|title=Dogfish Head From Extreme Beer To Nautical Apparel|date=10 June 2014|magazine=Businessweek|accessdate=25 January 2015}} In 2015, the company celebrated and achieved its 185-year anniversary with an art gallery show at its store in New York.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrysamaha/2015/09/09/woolrich-celebrates-185-years-with-a-gallery-show-for-new-york-fashion-week/ |title=Woolrich Celebrates 185 Years With A Gallery Show For New York Fashion Week |date=September 9, 2015 |work=forbes.com |accessdate=22 January 2016}}

In 2016, Italian company W.P. Lavori, which had previously licensed the Woolrich name for the European market as John Rich & Bros., agreed to acquire a majority stake in the company. The move consolidated the European licensing operations with the company in the U.S., forming Woolrich International. Goldwin Inc., a Japanese company, also acquired a portion of the newly created company.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-weaving-magic-unraveled-in-woolrich-pa-11545408240|title=Weaving Magic Unravels in Woolrich, Pa.|last=Simon|first=Ruth|date=2018-12-21|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=2018-12-26|publisher=Dow Jones & Company|url-access=subscription }}

In September 2018, the company announced it would permanently close its last plant in the United States, in Woolrich, Pennsylvania. It was also announced that the majority stake of W.P. Lavori was being sold to L-GAM Advisors, a private equity firm.

As of 2023, the three stores remaining in North America are in Woolrich, Pennsylvania; SoHo, New York City; and Woodbury, New York. In Europe, the brand has stores in Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands.

In November 2023, Woolrich appointed Todd Snyder as the Creative Director of its new Black Label premium collection.

[https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/woolrich-todd-snyder-creative-director-black-label1235928716-1235928716/ Woolrich Names Todd Snyder Creative Director of New Black Label Line] Women's Wear Daily, JEAN E. PALMIERI, November 17, 2023

{{unreferenced section|date=November 2023}}

Woolrich has appeared in films including: Dumb & Dumber,

Lassie, The Perfect Storm,

The Patriot,

Dr. Dolittle 2, and

War of the Worlds.

• Pendleton Woolen Mills
• Faribault Woolen Mill Company
• L.L.Bean
• Eddie Bauer
• The Timberland Company
• Filson

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.woolrich.com/woolrich/index.jsp}}

Category:Clothing brands of the United States

Category:Outdoor clothing brands

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Pennsylvania

Category:Clothing companies established in 1830

Category:1830 establishments in Pennsylvania

Category:Privately held companies based in Pennsylvania