Knitting Vermont Pride into Every Pair of Darn Tough Socks
When it comes to manufacturing socks, Ric Cabot and his team at Darn Tough have proved their mettle. The only sock mill left in Vermont (or in New England), Darn Tough is a third-generation sock-manufacturing business that prides itself on producing and manufacturing its Merino wool socks exclusively in Northfield, Vermont — and standing behind them with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
With his feet (clad in the over-the-calf ski socks he’s wearing today) firmly planted on Vermont soil, Ric Cabot talks about Merino wool, keeping jobs in Vermont and Darn Tough’s commitment to making socks that will stand up to a lifetime of abuse.
Ric Cabot (foreground) inspects machinery at the Darn Tough mill in Northfield, VT.
Westley: Socks have been in your family for three generations. You took over Cabot Hosiery Mills, Inc. from your father, and in 2004, launched the name Darn Tough. Why Darn Tough?
Cabot: It works in a bunch of different ways — we’re still making socks in Vermont even though we’re the only mill here that still produces and manufactures socks (and at times, it’s been a struggle). So as a factory, we’re darn tough. We’re also really focused on the outdoor market; I’m a runner and a hiker and used to race alpine snowboarding many years ago (although now I do tele), so I know first-hand that Vermont is a great testing ground for products. It also has a nice ring to it. I mean, who doesn’t want to be darn tough?
Westley: You’re very committed to manufacturing and producing socks here in Vermont. What drives that commitment?
Cabot: I wanted to do it here in Vermont, or not do it at all. We have 147 people employed here at our mill in Northfield and I have a relationship with all of them; turning our back on the people who have kept us in business for all of these years wasn’t an option. Additionally, you have total control over the product quality when you’re standing in the knitting room making sure everything is up to our high standards.
Westley: I’m currently wearing the AT Boot Socks — AT here referring not to Alpine Touring, but to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, to whom you donate 5 percent of sales to aid the ATC’s volunteer programs. What other community initiatives do you support?
Cabot: We provide socks for a lot of professional riders and runners and skiers to help them perform at their best, but we’re always looking out for our local community too. When Tropical Storm Irene hit our community, we gave away 4,000 pairs of socks to the Vermont Food Bank; we also gave a few thousand pairs to Japan after the tsunami, and 200 pairs are leaving for Turkey today to help people affected by the earthquake.
An employee packages pairs of socks, marking each with the Darn Tough logo.
Westley: You’ve mentioned that you test each and every new product, and you pride yourself on using Merino wool that is form-fitting, antimicrobial and made with varying levels of cushioning — but what is it about Darn Tough socks that make them special to you?
Cabot: I grew up with socks all around the house and with yarn everywhere, which was directly related to the relationship I had with my dad when he founded the company in 1978. But two things really make Darn Tough socks stand out to me: One, that they are really made in Vermont — not just in America, but actually here in Vermont — and two, that we really do stand behind our lifetime guarantee. People are always wondering what the catch is, but there is no catch. If they’re not the most comfortable, durable and best-fitting socks you own, return them and we’ll replace them for free.
Westley: And how often does that happen?
Cabot: Let’s just say our return rate is less than .001 percent of sales. If socks are pretty or look great, well, that’s fine — but if they’re not tough enough to stand up to the people who demand top performance out of a sock, then it seems a waste. We make sure to do both.
A rainbow-colored wall of wool skeins at the Northfield, VT. sock mill.
