Business name: Pendleton Woolen Mills Inc.
Owner: The Bishop family, with a sixth-generation member recently joining the company.
Address: 2 Pendleton Way, Washougal.
What the business does: Manufactures wool textiles for menswear and womenswear, apparel, home products and upholstery.
How has the economy affected your business: The downturn in the economy required Pendleton to focus on their customer needs, reduce costs and improve efficiencies.
Greatest challenge: Charlie Bishop, vice president of mill operations, said staying competitive in an increasingly competitive global economy is the company’s biggest challenge. The high cost of state worker’s compensation insurance, state unemployment insurance, health insurance, stormwater fees, regulatory compliance and recent increases in the price of raw materials, including wool, are also major challenges for a domestic manufacturing plant.
What’s ahead: Future plans include developing new products, improving efficiency and increasing production. For example, the mill plans to look at water reduction in the yarn manufacturing process, reducing boiler fuel consumption and improving the heat recovery system.
