Back in August, we shared the story of the Bates bedspread. It was a high quality blanket made in Maine that was turned into an heirloom item. People - including a number of First Ladies of the United States - gave them out as gifts and the company even hired a young George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara to act as brand ambassadors.
Those bedspreads were made at the Bates Mill, and even though that closed in 2001 the bedspreads are still under production. That's thanks to Bates' President of Manufacturing Fred Lebel and his daughter.
And the company they founded - Maine Heritage Weavers - has started to grow.