In the small town of Marlborough New Hampshire, Fred Hemenway, a thrifty Yankee looking for potential investment, and a German Immigrant, Ernest W. Blombach, who wanted to put his weaving skills to productive use, put their heads together started a label weaving company.

They set up three old second hand looms in a drafty barn behind the house, and started making labels for the underwear and bed linen industries in the Utica, New York area. This was in September 1929, just one month before the great stock market collapse.

Of course they needed a name for the new company, and they settled by adopting the name of the small river that ran through the town and right beside their barn.

It was the Minnewawa River, and they became Minnewawa Mfg. Co. Those first few years were difficult, but they persisted, putting more weatherproof additions on the barn and adding a few more looms at a time.
Ten years later, to be nearer some customers, they set up a shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, and to serve customers better, continued to expand and up-grade equipment. Now, three generations later, the purpose is still the same, to supply custom made labels to the apparel industry with the same prompt service they became known for through the years. Many of the jobs that were once slow hand labor are now automated and computerized, with the constant purpose in mind to supply our customers with the best labels at competitive prices with the fastest service possible.