Textiles still in style for local company
Pawtucket’s Colonial Mills marks 40 years in the textile manufacturing business
PAWTUCKET – Opened in 1977, Colonial Mills for the last 40 years has served as a throwback to the days of Pawtucket's birth as a textile juggernaut in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.
A family-owned and operated company that handcrafts braided-texture area rugs and home accessories out of a 70,000-square-foot warehouse on Mineral Spring Avenue, Colonial Mills is continuing the innovation and ingenuity that was started some 220 years ago just a short drive down the road at Slater Mill, where the city and country's history was made on the banks of the Blackstone River.
Owner and president Don Scarlata opened Colonial Mills with his brother Paul in 1977. Starting with just five employees in a small space, Colonial soon witnessed a boom in growth, now with 80 employees.
Scarlata sees the products made in the mill as an evolution of what the pilgrims brought to the country when they settled, calling the braided rugs “truly American.” They would take fabric and tear them into strips, braid them, and lay them out on the dirt floors of their homes to serve as rugs. Now, the idea is the same, although the machines that hum with activity serve as the method of braiding the fabrics and the employees that stitch, sew, inspect, and ship the labels are the ones ensuring the best possible product.
Every piece from Colonial is made to order and sewn one at a time with products made in the United States. They serve thousands of customers around the country, from online purchases to retailers such as Wayfair, JC Penney, and Overstock. Scarlata estimates that they receive 50,000 orders in a given year and 90 percent of their products are “drop shipped” directly to people who placed an order online.
While their focus may be on braided rugs and textures, Colonial's mission remains squarely on innovation, as they believe they are creating “the next generation of braided home fashions,” viewing braiding not as a style or material, but rather a form of construction.
Colonial's focus remains customer loyalty and craftsmanship, as Scarlata says “we're in the home fashion business,” and their products are made on an on-demand basis and the average order turnaround is typically less than five days.
The products created at Colonial Mills range from a traditional oval-shaped braided area rug to modern and chic looks in square or rectangular shapes or sizes that are custom fit. They also offer storage baskets and hampers that come in solid or multicolor options.
“We brought an old style product from the colonial days and modernized it to today … There are contemporary looks and traditional,” Scarlata said.
Despite their growth and success, Colonial Mills were no stranger to the economic downturn of the late 2000s. Before the recession, they employed 120 people, but after the financial collapse, business was cut in half. However, Scarlata says they have witnessed an improvement recently, saying “we're gradually coming back.”
As he looks to the future of Colonial Mills, Scarlata says he'd like to see them get back to the level of business they were at before the recession, saying that while it may still be a few years off, “we can achieve that.”
“We're always updating what we do, our philosophy is always to produce new prod- ucts, whether it's baskets, or designs,” he said. “We're always coming up with new things.”
Marketing Director Angela Rossi said that Colonial Mills continues to “innovate and develop braided home fashions that reflect our consumer’s unique lifestyle, allowing them to create inspiring living spaces that they want to come home to.”
“We look forward to passing on our commitment of high quality, design and tradi- tional American craftsmanship to our customers for generations to come,” she said in an email.
When he thinks back on the 40 years of business in Pawtucket and the American tradition and craftsmanship that is synonymous with a Colonial Mills product, Scarlata says “it's pretty amazing.”
“It's been something we've paid attention to, what we do, to not get distracted or sidetracked,” he said. “We've stayed focused on our niche.”
Colonial's braided area rugs are sold around the country through select retailers, which can be accessed via their website's store locator. They can also be purchased directly through the Colonial Mills website, www.colonialmills.com.
The Colonial Mills factory outlet, located at 560 Mineral Spring Ave., is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.