1836
FROM GUNPOWDER TO KNITTING MILLS
More than 170 years ago, Mr. Joseph Merrow became interested in the manufacture of gunpowder and established a powder mill 24 miles from Hartford Connecticut. When an explosion in 1837 destroyed the Mill, Mr. Merrow decided to build a knitting factory on the same site. The family business turned to the manufacture of knit cotton goods and Merrow Mills became the first business of its kind in the country.
The knitted goods produced at Merrow Mills were made largely of native wool, which was sorted, scoured and dyed, picked, carded and spun into yarn and knitted into hosiery. The product was initially sold locally through commission merchants throughout New York and New England, but following the gold rush of 1849 shipments of goods began to sail to San Francisco and the business became national. As sales increased, a small machine shop was started to support the knitting equipment in the Mill.
1868
THE OVERLOCK MACHINE
In Conjunction with the knitting business, sewing machines were constructed in the machine shop for finishing around the tops of men's socks in place of handwork. Devised in 1868 in the machine shop built by his grandfather, the first Merrow Crochet Machine was an invention of Mr. Joseph Millard Merrow.
These new crochet machines were so useful that additional business was undertaken to introduce them to other textile manufacturers. In 1887, when the Merrow knitting mill was again destroyed by fire, the company moved to Hartford and reorganized, concentrating solely on the manufacture of overlock sewing machines. The Merrow Machine Company had taken root.
1893
THE MERROW MACHINE COMPANY
In Hartford, the company improved upon the initial designs of Joseph M. Merrow and focused on building an expanded line of industrial overlock sewing machines that were used to overedge fabric, add decorative edging, and to support the fabric processing trade by joining fabrics. Between 1893 when the company was officially renamed the Merrow Machine Company, and 1932 when its line of "A Class" machines was introduced, Merrow had an unparalleled impact on the textile industry. The rate of innovation spearheaded by Joseph Millard Merrow is still unequaled in the industry today.
1947
UNPARALLELED GROWTH & INNOVATION
Joseph Millard Merrow was the driving force behind Merrow's development of new technology, and its growth from a regional supplier of crochet sewing machines, to the world-wide leader in the manufacture of industrial overlock sewing machines. Under his leadership the company achieved a place of prominence in the industrial sewing machine field with global distribution, hundreds of patents, and the distinction of introducing the industry's first industrial overlock sewing machine. In 1905, Merrow had agents in 35 countries and printed manuals in at least 12 languages. Sales for overlock sewing machines continued to increase and Merrow grew to employ more than 500 people in Hartford Connecticut. Joseph M. Merrow was witness to Merrow's rise to prominence and continued as president of the company until his death in 1947 at age 98.Throughout the 20th century, The Merrow Machine Co. continued to be an industry leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of industrial sewing machines. By 1999, Merrow had expanded its agent network to cover more than 60 countries, and had engineered successful sewing solutions for applications ranging from emblem edging to butted seaming.
2010
THE MERROW SEWING MACHINE COMPANY
Today, Merrow is run by brothers Owen and Charlie Merrow, the great-grandnephews of Joseph M. Merrow. Since 2004 when the Company was relocated to Massachusetts and renamed The Merrow Sewing Machine Company, Merrow has led in the invention, manufacture, and sale of of industrial sewing machines, and has become an industry leader in web-based content, developing cutting-edge online support and training systems to advance its global network of distributors. From the development of micro-sites to application specific videos, Merrow is committed to supporting its customers in textile and garment centers around the world.The Merrow Sewing Machine Co. is proud of its 170 year history, and is excited to continue its tradition of innovation and precision engineering in the 21st century. In addition to being one of the most recognizable brands of textile equipment in the world, Merrow is the oldest manufacturer of sewing machines still operating in the United States. The Company currently manufactures and hand-builds more than 40 styles of industrial sewing machines, from the elegant MG-2DNR-1 purl stitch machine to the rugged 72-D3B-2_R rolled butted seam machine. Every Merrow machine is carefully constructed and cam-driven, utilizing the most exacting manufacturing and assembly standards found in the industry. Merrow is constantly implementing design features that are incorporated in today's products while staying true to the original Company tenets of Quality, Performance, and Durability.