Clients Spotlight
Wolfe Fleece
Wolfe Fleece was founded in 1998 by Deve Wolfe in the remote, rugged town of Joseph, Oregon (pop. 1,000). Deve returned to her native Wallowa County, where her family has run a century old cattle ranch for five generations, as a young woman recently out of college and mostly out of money. Working as a waitress at the local pizza joint, Deve faced a holiday season with little budget for gift buying. She decided to use what money she had to buy fabric and sew fleece socks for friends and family. What started as handmade Christmas gifts turned into a burgeoning business and in January of 1998 Deve, opened her first ‘store’, a corner counter she rented from a larger store, on Joseph’s Main Street. She now has her own store on Joseph’s Main Street where she continues to sell her fleece products. In addition to providing income for her own family, Wolfe Fleece also employs eight women who value their family time but want to contribute to the family income. Deve gives them this wonderful opportunity to balance work and family life, which allows them to work from home during the hours that fit best with their individual schedules. For Deve, it isn’t about making each garment for dirt cheap by using a third party source; it’s about providing economic opportunity in an area known for financial hardships, and helping local women find ways to work and raise kids without making major sacrifices. Wolfe Fleece represents the best of the small, independent business, that uniquely American spirit that drives us to carve something out of nothing and then share it with others.
Website: www.wolfefleece.com
