AMERICAN BRAID
Pawtucket braided rug-makers Colonial Mills invited to represent Rhode Island at White House Made in America Product Showcase
jbissonnettte@pawtuckettimes.com
PAWTUCKET – When a representative from the White House reached out to Colonial Mills executive vice president Gregg Scarlata earlier this week, to say he was a bit cautious would be an understatement.
The representative had contacted Colonial Mills to inquire about their availability to attend a celebration in Washington, D.C. next week, acknowledging American-made manufacturers from across the country. But before saying yes, Scarlata said, he had to conduct some research.
“The first reaction was I Googled who it was to make sure it was legit,” he said with a laugh during an interview with The Times. “To make sure it wasn’t some scam, I said ‘Let me just make sure this is a person who truly works at the White House.’”
Upon receiving the confirmation that this person was who they claimed to be, Scarlata said he “jumped at the opportunity” to showcase their products.
“It’s an honor, it makes us really proud,” he said. “We’ve been at this for 40 years now. It’s always a grind, it’s never been easy, but it’s really what we stand for and do. It’s good
to kind of get rewarded in a sense for being manufacturers and staying here and doing our best.”
The braided area rugs and home accessories produced at Colonial Mills are on their way from Mineral Spring Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue, as the city-based company was chosen to represent Rhode Island at the Made in America Product Showcase at the White House.
Scarlata and his father, Colonial Mills owner and president Don Scarlata, on Sunday will make the journey south from Pawtucket to the nation’s capital. Opened in 1977 by Don Scarlata and his brother Paul, Colonial Mills is a family-owned and operated company that hand-crafts braided-texture area rugs and home accessories out of a 70,000-squarefoot warehouse on Mineral Spring Avenue.
Being made in America, Scarlata says, is “kind of all I know … what I stand for.”
“I’m very proud to be made in America,” he said. “My father’s always been extremely proud to be made in the USA, there’s not many true American-made manufacturers left. It’s a real pride to know we were able to survive all these years, it’s extremely meaningful to stay here and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Scarlata and his father will represent the company in the nation’s capital, which he said is “really cool … Even if it was just me, it would be great, but to share it with my father is extremely meaningful.”
With the phone call from the White House coming just a few days ago – and only a week before the product showcase – Scarlata said they had a “very short amount of time” to assemble which products they’d be bringing to Washington. He said they’ll bring an assortment of braided rugs and storage baskets, saying “we want to make sure we show the variety of quality and styles within our assortment.”
Every piece from Colonial is made to order and sewn one at a time with products made in the United States. They serve thousands of customers around the country, from online purchases to retailers such as Wayfair, JC Penney, and Overstock.
The products created at Colonial Mills range from a traditional oval-shaped braided area rug to modern and chic looks in square or rectangular shapes or sizes that are custom fit. They also offer storage baskets and hampers that come in solid or multi-color options.
This is the second consecutive year in which a Pawtucket-based business has been invited to Washington to represent Rhode Island at the product showcase at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Last summer, Narragansett Brewing Company greeted political movers and shakers with a “Hi, neighbor!” as the citybased brewery was Rhode Island’s contribution to the event. Two members of the Narragansett team staffed the event and brought some of the Pawtucket-brewed beverages for samplings.
President Donald J. Trump last week proclaimed July 17 to be “Made in America Day” and the week of July 15 through July 21 as “Made in America Week.”
In a statement announcing the Made in America Day and Week, Trump said “we celebrate the importance of
American manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining, and entrepreneurship to our nation’s prosperity and economic vitality.”
“Made in America products represent the global gold standard for quality, innovation, and craftsmanship and the output of a highly skilled workforce that is second to none,” the president said. “American workers and job creators sustain and inspire the American Dream, while enhancing both our economic and national security, which are inextricably linked.”
Trump in the statement touted achievements during his administration such as signing into law tax cuts and reform, optimism among American manufacturers, and cutting regulations that he argued have hampered economic growth.
“Our nation continues to thrive due to the determination, imagination, skill, creativity, and excellence of our people,” Trump said. “American industry reflects these qualities and evokes patriotism, pride, and the hope of a bright and prosperous future. We salute our nation’s workers, job creators, and inventors, and we pledge to continue creating an environment that makes the United States the most attractive place in the world to do business.”