By BOB DUFF
Earlier this year I received a very warm, encouraging letter from Jacob Harrison Long, the CEO of American Woolen Company in Stafford Springs. You may never have heard of the company or the Connecticut town they call home, but their significance cannot be understated.
State Sen. Bob Duff, the Senate majority leader whose 25th District includes part of Darien and all of Norwalk. (contributed photo)
You see, they’re the only worsted/woolen textile company left in America. However, theirs is not a story of desperation. They’re doing extremely well and have a diverse clientele from established high-end retail brands to young start ups.
When the fear mongering about companies moving out of Connecticut was at an extreme, Jacob wrote to tell me his company is proud to call Connecticut home. He made it clear his focus is not on what it costs him to be in Connecticut, but rather the untapped potential of Connecticut as a hub of consumer product innovation and manufacturing. Those are his exact words.
And that’s my big-picture vision for Connecticut. I’ve often said that one business advantage we enjoy is our well-educated and skilled workforce. Combine that with our current work in developing Innovation Places to help start-ups and entrepreneurs and the potential for growth is nearly unlimited.
Two-cent U.S. postage stamp. You, too can get your two cent’s worth in with a letter to the editor published by Darienite.com. Email it to dave@darienite.com. Letters on the election must be received by the end of the day Oct. 31.
What sets American Woolen Company apart from competitors in other countries is a relentless pursuit of excellence combined with a healthy dose of homegrown pride – not ‘Made in America’ but ‘Made in Connecticut.’
We’ve been through some rough times together, but let’s not lose sight of our Yankee ingenuity heritage – the one that urges us to not be discouraged, but rather to adapt, improvise and innovate.
Jacob shared the names of other Connecticut businesses that are successfully doing just that. Some, like the Waterbury Button Company, have been around almost as long as the country itself. Hosmer Mountain Soda in Willimantic and Munson’s Chocolates in Bolton are relative newcomers, names your parents or grandparents might know. And then there’s the truly ‘new guys in town’ — Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Hartford Denim Company, and The Brothers Crisp Footwear in Hartford.
________________
See also:
- Sen Bob Duff & Family hosts Free Pasta Dinner Dance on Saturday (Oct. 19)
- Commentary: Ehlers: ‘Bob Duff Doesn’t Stand Up for Education’ (Oct. 6)
- Commentary: Bob Duff on Improving Area Transportation (Oct. 3)
- More articles on the State Senate District 25 Election 2016
________________
What they all have in common — what has always made Connecticut great — is that uncompromising desire to be the best. If we start there and then look for that untapped potential I mentioned earlier, there’s little that can stop us from achieving success after success.
State Sen. Bob Duff, a Norwalk Democrat, is the majority leader in the state Senate (the second-most powerful position in the Senate, after Senate President) and represents the 25th state Senate district, which includes Norwalk and about half of Darien. He is running for re-election against Republican Greg Ehlers of Darien.