Stanfield's Limited () is a Canadian garment manufacturer based in

Truro, Nova Scotia Truro (Mi'kmaq: ''Wagobagitik''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Truru'') is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada. Truro is the shire town of Colchester County and is located on the south side of the Salmon River floodplain, close to the river's mouth at ...

, with approximately 550 employees, whose company's products are sold throughout Canada and around the world.

History

Founding in Prince Edward Island

The company traces its history to 1856 when Charles E. Stanfield and his brother-in-law Samuel E. Dawson founded Tryon Woollen Mills in

Tryon, Prince Edward Island Tryon is an unincorporated area in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Situated on Route 1 and Route 10, it lies within the township of Lot 28 which in 2006 had a population of 880 people. Tryon is not far from Crapaud, Prince Edward I ...

. Charles sold his interest to Samuel a decade later and moved to Truro. In 1870, Charles Stanfield established the Truro Woollen Mills on Brunswick Street, Truro, opposite the

Intercolonial Railway The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways. As the railway was also completely ow ...

station. He also built the St Croix Woollen Mills in St Croix, Nova Scotia and the Union Woollen Mills in

Farnham, Quebec Farnham is a city in Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 10,149, making it the second most populated community in the RCM. History The city of Fa ...

. The Truro Felt Works were later established east of the woollen mills and Stanfield finally established the current

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

on the south bank of the Salmon River in the town in 1882.Stanfield's Official Website
About Us
/ref>

Period of innovation

In 1896, Charles Stanfield sold his business interests to his two sons,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

and

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...

. They renamed the Truro factory Truro Knitting Mills Limited and concentrated on knitted merchandise. Their company was innovative and sold many products in the form of shrink-proof heavy woolen underwear that were used by workers during the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890s. In 1898, they developed Stanfield's Unshrinkable Underwear and in 1915 they introduced an adjustable two-piece design patented on 7 December 1915. To this day, Stanfield's is widely known as "The Underwear Company."

Stanfield's Limited

This early success led to the 1906 establishment of Stanfield's Limited. In 1910, Stanfield's bought out Hewson Woollen Mills in

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

, which was renamed Amherst Woollen Mills. Business was brisk during both world wars and Stanfield's expanded into t-shirts and other garments following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Robert Lorne Stanfield, former premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC; french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003. From Canadian Confederation in 1867 until 1942, the ...

, was the grandson of the founder, Charles Stanfield.

Advertising

In October 2010, the manufacturer launched an internet advertising campaign, supporting a

testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an u ...

survivor Mark McIntyre in a 25-day campaign to raise awareness of testicular cancer and cancer research. For each Facebook "like" Stanfield's agreed to donate first up to $25,000 and then $50,000 to testicular cancer research. The website garnered national news coverage in Canada and was an Internet sensation.Craig MacBride
"The Verdict: Stanfield’s scores with skivvies"
''Media in Canada'', February 3, 2011

References

External links

Stanfield's Limited - official website
{{Portal bar , Canada Clothing brands of Canada Clothing manufacturers Companies based in Nova Scotia Clothing companies established in 1856 Textile companies of Canada Truro, Nova Scotia Underwear brands 1856 establishments in Prince Edward Island