|
|
|
 |
|
Home / Washington Business - January/February 2004 / Member Profile: Pendleton Woolen Mills: A Family-Run Success |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Member Profile: Pendleton Woolen Mills: A Family-Run Success |
|
|
|
Written On: January/February 2004 |
|
|
|
Written By: By Scott Carlson |
|
|
|
Washougal is a small town on the banks of the mighty Columbia River. Present-day roads, such as 15th and “A” streets and Highway 14, are now paved over trails blazed by Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery nearly 200 years ago. It is only a 20-minute drive into downtown Portland, but one wouldn’t guess it walking the sleepy, quiet streets early in the morning.
However, inside Pendleton Woolen Mills, right in the heart of this quiet community, skilled craftsmen toil behind huge weaving machines. What they turn out is artistry in the form of wool fabric that becomes fashionable women’s and men’s clothing and colorful blankets that capture the essence of the Old West – a tradition that has been around since the days of horse-drawn carriages and telegraph poles.
This year, Pendleton celebrates the 140th year of its family legacy in the Pacific Northwest. Not only is it one of Washington’s longest running family businesses, Pendleton is one of the longest running woolen businesses in the country.
“My great, great grandfather arrived in Oregon in 1863, bringing his wool expertise from England,” says Pendleton President C.M. “Mort” Bishop III. Thomas Kay spent four months traveling down the East Coast of North America, traversing the Panama Isthmus on a burro, and sailing up the Pacific to the Union’s newest state, Oregon.
In 1912, Pendleton acquired a weaving mill in Washougal, which was a dense forest and a clearing for the mill. Just seven years later, Pendleton would join the Association of Washington Business, beginning a long-standing and close relationship.
The company’s unique history doesn’t end there. Pendleton is intertwined with some of the most memorable and significant events of the 20th century.
Pendleton Blankets Kept GIs Warm
Pendleton manufactured wool blankets that kept American GIs warm during bitter European winters of World War I. During 1932’s Los Angeles Olympics, Pendleton was awarded the commission of producing an official Olympics blanket.
World War II united Americans toward the common goal of supporting troops in the European and Pacific theaters. During this crucial period, Pendleton devoted a majority of its production to the U.S. military.
A 60s singing group called the Pendletones took their name from Pendleton’s popular wool shirt. The Pendletones would later become known as the Beach Boys. Most recently, the Smithsonian Institute and Pendleton are working together to fund a new museum.
“To commemorate the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall on Sept. 21, 2004, we proudly present the Museum’s first blanket in collaboration with Pendleton Woolen Mills of Portland, Oregon,” states a Smithsonian news release. The special blanket was designed by museum curator Truman Lowe (Ho-Chunk), using a ribbon design he learned from his mother, Mabel Davis Lowe (Ho-Chunk).
Charles Bishop, the Washougal Mill manager, fifth generation descendent of founder Thomas Kay and past AWB board member, says the fact that the company is family-owned and operated is why it has been so successful for almost a century and a half.
“It’s given us a long-term perspective,” Bishop said. “We’ve stuck with it through some lean times, as well as some good times. I think family businesses are kind of unique that way.”
Without the workforce employed at Pendleton since day one, business wouldn’t be close to what it is today, he added. “It’s having a stable, dedicated skilled workforce that has made the company successful over all these years.”
Pendleton’s Extended Family Includes 240 People
“Not only is the company family-owned, we have a lot of extended family in the company that has been with us for a long time,” he said. “Here in Washougal, we employ 240 people. More than 50 people have been with us over 25 years, and two people have been with us over 40 years.
The Washougal mill today sits on roughly 70 acres, with the plant itself occupying more than 300,000 square feet. The company is always eyeing the industry’s horizon for changes and upgrades in technology. This is another reason Pendleton has been in business for so long.
The textile industry is a very dynamic, according to Bishop. “It’s gone from being a very labor intensive industry to being a capital intensive industry,” he said. “We’re constantly updating to survive.”
High-tech machinery now performs tasks in hours what used to take workers days or weeks to turn out. This allows Pendleton to keep up with the fashion industry as well.
And as the wool industry continues to move forward, so do business-related issues here in Washington. Pendleton employees and the Bishop family are also trying to stay ahead of the curve in that realm, too.
AWB’s Leadership on Ergonomics Helped Pendleton
“AWB’s leadership in passing Initiative 841 [removing the state’s ergonomics rules] allowed us to breathe a sigh of relief,” Bishop said. Costs associated with a mandatory ergonomics regulation would have hurt the mill in Washougal even though Pendleton made ergonomics improvements on his production floor. For example, people are cross-trained and can perform numerous tasks in the production line, thus keeping them from performing any one job for too long.
Pendleton is also conscious of the environment and the effect it has on it.
“Everybody wants a clean environment,” said Bishop. “Wool is a natural, renewable fiber, and we can process wool in an environmentally friendly way.”
“We are well aware that you don't inherit reputation - you live up to it,” continues “Mort” Bishop.
The craftsmen of Pendleton Woolen Mills and the Bishop family will persistently strive to live up to the name their predecessors have made for them. As the label says, “It’s warranted to be a Pendleton.”
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
