Merino wool apparel brand Minus33 has reclaimed ownership of the historic Scribner Building that sits at the head of the former L.W. Packard campus in Ashland, New Hampshire, USA.

The move is the latest step by Minus33 towards reclaiming its New England textile heritage and extending a tradition of quality that reaches back through generations of family business.

Originally built in 1880 for the use of the textile mill, the Scribner Building has been repurchased to support the continued expansion of Minus33, which was created by the wool experts of L.W. Packard when it closed in 2002 in response to the changing global trade and manufacturing landscape. In 2020, the brand was able to bring wool production back to Ashland with its Mountain Heritage line of socks, extending a local tradition dating back to 1840, when the Briggs brothers of Leeds, England, built a woollen mill on the Squam River,

“Taking back the Scribner building is a huge step for the growing team here at Minus33,” said the brand’s lead sock designer Lawson Glidden, former vice-president of L.W. Packard. “To dedicate this space to really making things again – even if it’s just a part of this once massive facility – is a feeling that’s so gratifying, it’s hard to describe. We’re proud to carry forward a tradition that reaches back nearly two centuries here in Ashland. The end goal is to harness that accumulated knowledge to deliver the absolute best quality product to consumers at the best value, while bringing back good jobs to this community.”

Renovation of the Scribner Building will begin in May 2021, starting with the repair and restoration of the roof and plans include installing a wind vane from the original Ashland Knitting Company and a Hooper Bell, which was once part of the original mill.

www.minus33.com