He never planned to own a Civil War era woolen mill.
After Faribault Woolen Mill closed down, a longtime emplyoee shared the compelling story of what the mill meant to the community. In 2011, Paul Mooty got wind of this history and took an inspired chance, re-opening the mill with five employees and a prayer.
In a textbook case of hard work and local expertise, employee count grew, and Faribault Woolen Mill Co. found itself on the NBC Sunday Evening News in 2012. In this 'Real Leaders with Roshini' podcast, Mooty shares the story of how when they checked the website the morning after the feature aired, they had $100K in new sales overnight.
Just the shot in the arm they needed, Mooty admits, "This is a long journey." A core value of their company is "Win as One." Showcasing employees with 10 to 55 years experience is also a habit for this leader. When the company got selected to go to the White House as the one company to represent Minnesota in the 2017 Made in America Product Showcase, Mooty invited longtime and 83-year-old employee Mary Boudreau to go with him. A year later, Google invited Mooty to its Annual Economic Impact Report to meet with Google leaders.
A grandfather to two boys, Mooty knows balance is key and spends a lot of time with family and giving back to his alma mater the University of Minnesota.