First known as the Cleveland Mills, 1880 marked the founding of the company with five owners who ultimately became one—C.L. Hardwick. The firm was besieged by fire as many as four times, but as the building and its contents were repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, each time forced modernization with positive change and growth to occur in spite of damage and loss.
The Mills weaved what was known as “jean cloth”—a heavy-duty twill or kersey for pants that was initially created in Virginia. It was roughly 76% wool, and 24% cotton, with the cotton being on the inside close to the leg for softness, and the 22 oz. wool fabric being on the outside. [Today’s industrial pants are 7.5 oz – 11.5 oz]. Once the goods was woven, it was transformed into “Dollar Pants,” due to their low cost.
Over time, Cleveland Mills evolved into a manufacturing plant as well as a mill, making “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” according to company records of 1920; in 1925, it became Hardwick Mills with the family’s name attached. During its heyday, Cleveland Mills was the largest facility of its kind in the world. It produced the fabric and it made the garments: Suits, overcoats, knickers, and boys’ wear. It produced plaids, various weaves, and solids. It transformed from industrial wear to dress attire, with pleated and then plain front pants, and it followed the all coat styles of the day, from the earliest part of the 20th century until modern times. Even during the Great Depression, Hardwick managed to grow. Its motto was “Off the sheep’s back, and onto the rack.”
Ultimately, with huge Post War demand for ready-to-wear garments, and with the invention of synthetics, Hardwick decided to abandon its line of overcoats, boys’ wear, and fashions that had gone out of style, also selling its mill. Instead, it became a manufacturing plant alone, and went full force into men’s wear for dress and sport. Since 1980, it has added a ladies’ line to complement the men’s garments; however, Hardwick is ultimately a medium priced line that is sold in retail men’s stores. Today, it produces suits, separates, and sport coats. Its inventory is not so much a matter of variety, but rather of volume.
The current 175,000 sq. feet one-story facility was built in 1974, when the company was producing over 10,000 coats and pants per week. Strictly American made, the company has continued to adapt with the times and now focuses on career apparel for groups and corporations plus its ongoing sales to men’s stores and individuals. Keeping inventory plentiful for superb customer service, but keeping the economy keenly in mind, anything that doesn’t sell is discontinued. “Patterns for sport coats eventually run themselves out,” cites Jim Park. “We temper current styles with what we think is the best.”
The Hardwick line is very traditional—conservative. Manufacturing in the South, its focus has been influenced by the population; heaviest sales seem to be in the Midwest and the Sunbelt, where people prefer classic grey, black, and navy—”the marry ’em and bury ’em” colors,” smiles Jim. It used to be that Hardwick made blazers in a myriad of colors, but due to the lack of interest, had to cut them. “We find that since we’ve narrowed our focus to certain items rather than many, our sales have greatly increased.”
Despite society’s more recent trend toward casual dress, Jim feels that the future is very bright. “Sure, there are folks who are loyal to their pocketbooks and want to buy offshore, but we see the economy improving, people are getting back to dressing up, and there’s a lot to be said for being an American made product.
“The age of our customers is unlimited. We appeal more to the middle-aged person, but we’re also reaching out to people in their 20’s. We have an excellent value in our garments; our history and tradition speak for themselves; we go out of our way to be a team and a family, and take care of our customers. If someone calls and says ‘I’ve got to have this for a special event,’ we do our best to accommodate. People can count on us.”
One of the best aspects of Hardwick Clothes in more recent years is its ability to do special orders. “We’re not a custom house,” reminds Jim, but we did uniforms for the Second World War, and now for the Salvation Army; we manufacture pants for umpires, or make certain colors or styles if there’s enough for a special request. It’s a great place to work, and after 25 years, I only hope I’ll be here for many more.”
