The work that unites us – Fast Company

As the holidays approach, and I walk through our historic mill in Faribault, Minnesota, I’m reminded of how much work matters—not just for what it produces, but for what it represents. At Faribault Mill, we make artisanal wool and cotton blankets the old-fashioned way: spinning, weaving, and finishing under one roof, much as we have since the company’s founding in 1865. We also design, market, sell, and ship those same products directly to consumers across the country. In a world where most companies outsource one step or another, we do it all. 

That makes us one of the few fully vertically integrated manufacturers left in America, and it gives us a unique perspective on the value of work, across every discipline and title. 

In our company, “blue collar” and “white collar” aren’t separate worlds; they’re on the same team. The loom operator depends on the marketing manager. The salesperson depends on the sewers to make what we promise. And the shipping team depends on both to ensure every order arrives on time. We succeed only when every link in that chain works together. 

That’s not just true in our mill—it’s true across America. Yet too often, our society talks about work in ways that divide instead of connect. We frame debates as worker versus employer, white collar versus blue, corporate versus labor, us versus them. But those are false choices. To be pro-worker you must also be pro-employer, and to be pro-business you must also be pro-employee. 

THE DIGNITY OF ALL WORK 

I spend a lot of time on our mill floor, and what I see there is something deeply American: people showing up, solving problems, learning trades, and taking pride in making something real.  

But I also see the same pride in our offices—in the designers who obsess over every product detail, the digital marketers who bring our brand to life online, and the customer service team who answers the phone when someone calls to say they’re gifting a Faribault blanket to their new grandchild. 

All of it is work, all of it is valuable, and all of it deserves respect. 

A FULLY INTEGRATED AMERICAN BUSINESS 

At Faribault Mill, we don’t just make products, we build relationships from start to finish. We source the fiber, spin it into yarn, weave it into fabric, finish it into blankets, and then sell it directly to customers in stores, online, and through retail partners. We photograph every product, write every description, and ship every order ourselves—often from the same building where it was made. 

That level of integration means everyone at our company has a stake in the outcome. The weaver on the floor sees the final product featured in our marketing mailers. The marketing team understands the work that goes into running a loom. The warehouse team sees firsthand how a surge in holiday demand affects production. 

This connectedness creates a sense of shared purpose—the belief that what we do matters not just to the business, but to one another. It’s not always easy. There are late nights, tight deadlines, and tough decisions, but it’s real and it’s honest, and it’s exactly what American work should be. 

THE HOLIDAYS AND THE SPIRIT OF WORK 

During the holidays, our mill runs at full tilt. Orders spike, machines run longer, and the warehouse buzzes with activity. But for our team, this season isn’t just about sales. It’s about the satisfaction of knowing that tens of thousands of families will open a box on Christmas morning and find something made by hand, by people who care. 

That’s the magic of work when it’s done with purpose. 

It’s also a reminder that behind every product—whether it’s a wool blanket, a meal in a restaurant, or a car rolling off the line—there are people who make it possible. Workers and managers; designers and operators; the seen and the unseen. 

THE PARTNERSHIP THAT POWERS PROGRESS 

Work in America has never been a solo act. The great advances in our history, from the Industrial Revolution to the digital age, have all come from teamwork and partnership. It is between inventors and operators, owners and workers, management and labor. 

The most sustainable companies aren’t those that treat workers as costs or management as adversaries. They’re the ones who understand shared success. At Faribault Mill, we compete every day with global brands that make things cheaper overseas. We can’t win on price alone, but we can win on quality, authenticity, and the strength of our team. That requires trust between every person in the company, from the spinning floor to the boardroom. 

We don’t get everything right, but we try to model what’s possible when a business honors both sides of the work equation. 

A CALL FOR RESPECT AND RENEWAL 

This holiday season, as we reflect on what unites us, I hope we can start to see work itself as sacred, not just a means to an end, but as the connective tissue of a healthy society. 

That means valuing people who make things just as much as those who market them. It means celebrating both the weaver and the web developer, the craftsman and the creative, the shop-floor supervisor and the CEO. 

The future of American enterprise depends on both. 

Ross Widmoyer is president and CEO of Faribault Mill.