Aran Woollen Mills was established in 1965 as Carraig Donn Manufacturing by the Hughes family in Westport Co Mayo.
The Hughes family are passionate about Irish craft and heritage and were determined to find a way to harness and sustain skilled local employment in the west of Ireland.
Maura Hughes was 35 years old and had thirteen children when she founded the business with her husband Padraig. Aran Woollen Mills (AWM) started as a true family business with all members of the family taking an active role, whether developing products, making samples or delivering and collecting stock from local outworkers. The product range at that time included hand knit Aran sweaters, cushion covers, wool belts, caps, scarves and mittens. The family would send the materials out to over a hundred workers on the West Coast who would make up the products in their homes. Maura’s 11th child, Vincent, now Managing Director, can remember working in the family business when he was just five years old, one of his earliest memories - his father coming home from his day job in the evening and preparing products with him and some of his siblings in the little workshop they had set up at the back of their house.
Aran Woollen Mills continues to manufacture in Westport and has now expanded its manufacturing operation to Bellmullet to continue to support business growth, met the demand for quality, natural and sustainable products and support skilled Irish Jobs.
The business now employs over 100 people and has ambitious plans to grow its workforce over the next 5 years. The business currently manufactures over 8000 garments a week in Ireland and by year end it is expected to increase to 10,000 per week by year end.
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