In the quiet town of Westport, Connecticut the Sock Factory rests at the edge of a picturesque marsh, far from the hustle and bustle of the busy town and industry. The Sock Factory has been a New England treasure since the early 1900s when it started out manufacturing men’s socks and women’s handkerchiefs in what is now known as the “Sock Workshop”. After starting out as a small business, the Sock Factory quickly grew to become a popular knitting factory. Tourists traveling the world would stop at the Sock Factory to purchase their own socks and handkerchiefs and souvenirs.
The original intent of the Sock Factory was to produce knitwear for the masses, which is evident by the massive amount of yarn that is produced at any given time. Today the mill still produces over one hundred different types of socks, including a wide selection of colors and designs. Over the years the Sock Factory has also worked closely with many different businesses including the New England State House, the United States Olympic Committee, the United States Department of State, the United States Postal Service, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. As a result, the Sock Factory has become one of the most prestigious names in the business of men’s and women’s hosiery.
In the early years of the Sock Factory the Company had several partners, but slowly it was able to attract a number of major national retailers such as Ralph Lauren, Mattress Warehouse, Cotton Centra, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bed Bath and Beyond to name a few. These larger companies were able to provide the capital that allowed the Sock Factory to grow and hire additional employees. Today the Sock Factory continues to operate twenty-four hours per day, six days a week. They are a privately owned company and are the only privately owned company in Connecticut that manufacture and ships men’s socks and women’s handkerchiefs internationally. Due to the large capital that is required and the long hours that are required in the production process, the Sock Factory is one of the few companies in the United States that are able to keep on going during the economic recession.