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About Us
The Mill USA (a sister company of: The Mill Artisan, Namibia)
Having been in the South African textile industry for over 40 years, our family’s legacy continues to grow and make a global impact. One of our sisters moved to southern Namibia, in the heart of Swakara sheep country. Realizing unemployment in the area was 80%, she decided to use her absorbed knowledge as a daughter of master weavers to revive the wool industry, training and employing people of the area, and starting a weaving mill. The mission was established: to create a beautiful product to share with the world that focused on ethical production methods and excellent quality.
Meanwhile, one of our other sisters was living in the US with her family and quickly became the bridge in sharing the product with the world by connecting first and third world economies. This shared mission led to the opening of The Mill USA, and partnership with a dear friend who brings years of experience in the US design industry.
Our company trains and employs people from the Nama & Ovambo tribes, turning them into skilled artisans. This offers them not only employment, but the dignity of mastering a craft of which they can be proud – a trade they can pass down to their children and share within their communities. We are proud to have created a product of value and purpose in the harsh reality of the desert, using only renewable resources. The Mill USA connects a third-world manufacturer to a first-world economy through trade.
Ethical and Sustainable Practices
In rural Namibia where our factory is located, unemployment is approximately 80%.
As we support our artisans and they support one another, a beautiful community has formed around our unique product, which is something that we cherish.
Our factory is committed to providing a meal and clean water for the artisans each work day. We have opened a “safe house” as well, for our vulnerable women (and their children) who have suffered domestic abuse.
We intend to keep all possibilities for support and education in view and execute solutions when they are sustainable.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
- author unknown
This quote holds true for us. The joy of mastering a trade and being rewarded for their skill is what we hope will be the legacy of our artisans within their families and tribes. Connecting a first-world economy with a third-world
manufacturing story allows a new generation of artisans to rise up, impacting not only their families and community, but people around the globe who experience beautifully handmade one-of-kind goods. We want to engage this new generation of artisans in their own development, empowering them to drive themselves out of poverty.
“Overcoming poverty is not an act of charity, it is an act of justice.”
- Nelson Mandela
Our Brand Promise
Artisan Impact
Skills + Personal Development
Employment
A Living Wage
Support for the Vulnerable
Bridge Building
Third World Circular Supply Chain
Economic Opportunity
First World Purchasing Power
Animal Care
Traceability
Animal & Environmental Welfare
Transparent Supply Chain
Shearing Sheep is Kind
Products
100% Swakara Wool
Meticulously Handwoven
Natural Lanolin Coating
Rich in Texture
Artisan Impact
Skills + Personal Development
Employment
A Living Wage
Support for the Vulnerable
Bridge Building
Third World Circular Supply Chain
Economic Opportunity
First World Purchasing Power
Animal Care
Traceability
Animal & Environmental Welfare
Transparent Supply Chain
Shearing Sheep is Kind
Products
100% Swakara Wool
Meticulously Handwoven
Natural Lanolin Coating
Rich in Texture
