From Making History, to Creating a Future.
Our newest location has a history to it. Dating back to 1900, the property was initially a manufacturing site known as The Defiance Bleachery, which later became known as Tweave LLC.
From The Past - Defiance Bleachery
Parade float from Defiance Bleachery, located in the Barrowsville section of Norton. The identities of the five young ladies representing different sections of Norton. They are: Miss Chartley, Lillian Flanagan; Miss East Norton, Peg McGovern; Miss Barrowsville, Emma Sears; Miss Winnecunnett, Hazel Gomes; Miss Norton, Ida Bellavance.
The Attleborough and Taunton Rail Road was constructed through Norton in 1869. Under this influence, the town developed a small jewelry industry, beginning in 1871, at Chartley. The only other major development identified was the establishment of the Defiance Mfg. Co. Bleachery at Barrowsville. Box and jewelry manufacturers and the Defiance Bleachery remained the town's principal manufacturers.
History of Tweave
Originally named Debson Mills, Tweave was founded in 1951 by Jack Fallow and Harold Lawton with the idea to use stretch woven fabrics in foundation garments.
Throughout that decade, the business diversified into swimwear, sportswear, and skiwear.
The yarn covering/weaving mill was located in New Bedford, MA, while the dyeing/finishing facility was located in Fall River, MA. In 1980, the company was consolidated into a single location in Norton, MA and, during that same year, Debson Mills was renamed Tweave, Inc.
The 1990's brought a shift in business away from the foundation garments as fashions changed. With that, Tweave added contract upholstery fabrics to the stretch woven line, and watched the outerwear segment grow as customers began to understand the benefits of "softshell" garments.
Industrial and medical opportunities also began to grow, as did the military market while the US began to upgrade soldier protection and equipment in preparation for more active operations.
In 2008, Tweave was purchased by Gehring-Tricot, Corp., which prompted an eventual move to Fall River into the former Quaker Fabric facility.