Warick Fashions
Is New Industry

Former Twitchell Plant Now Occupied By Coat Firm

Warick Fashions, makers of women's coats, are now selling at retail at their new plant on Stiles avenue between Park and Linwood avenues, Maple Shade.

According to Arthur Goldman, president of the firm, "buyers will truely obtain coats at wholesale prices." The prices will be the same as those paid by his regular customers, mail order houses and large chain stores.

The firm, one of the latest to move to Maple Shade, came from Camden when the plant at 925 North 8th street became too small. Full scale production was begun in February.

Goldman said that the firm has purchased the old E.W. twitchell plant and has already made extensive improvements. He said that he plans for improving the landscaping which has long been one of the outstanding features of the block-long plot.

The plant, the largest of its kind in South Jersey and one of the most modern in the east, can produce 4,000 spring coats or 3,500 fall and winter coats per week. There are now 100 employed, 29 of them from the Maple Shade area and the president says that he will eventually employ between 130 and 140 people.

On the Stiles avenue side of the building is the huge cutting and stock rooms. One corner is occupied by three designers, highly specialized men who actually design many of the items made and sold.

Another section has been taken from the room to make a lunchroom for employees.

Prior to the new Municipal Building, it was the Warwick Coat Factory. My mother had worked there in the early sixties.

The Coat Factory was exactly that. Originally it was Warrick Fashions. (This was back in the '50's before it became a sister to the original Burlington Coat Factory).I can't remember the names but one of the owners was Morris somebody. My mom worked there for many years while it was a family owned operation. The top floor was for the "finishing work" and the bottom for the "production area". It was an ethnic paradise. I remember being about 4 years old coming in to "pick up" mom from work. I distinctly remember being told "I'll get your mommy dahling". By a broad New York accent. Was also called beautiful in at least 3 European languages. I learned to love the sound of the languages.

The building was the Burlington Coat Factory. Before Burl. Coat Fact bought it, it used to be a coat factory by another name....my Grandmother used to work there! FYI....my mother went to school with a Joann Goldman and her father owned the factory before Burl Coat....They were from Moorestown

In early 40's it was a string and rope factory called Twichell's

When I was a little girl, I grew up on Linwood Ave. down the street from factory. It was called "Twitchell's" before Warwick's. My brother's mother-in-law worked there when they made Villager fashions (*I think coats). The original Burlington Coat Factory was actually in Burlington City off Route 130. I went there to buy a coat! Right where they made them.

Coat Factory -- when I was very young, it was called Twitchells (spelling??) and it was a clothing factory. They made coats for Villager later but I don't know the exact name. It was vacant for a bit & then the township bought for the municipal complex.

My Mom worked at Twitchells in 1946 for about three years. At that time they were weaving on looms, making car seat covers out of colored "raffia". They were surely something to see.

On your page you say that prior to the Municipal Building... it was the coat factory. This is not altogether true, Yes it was the coat factory BUT when it closed, it was bought by Ralph & Leroy Mehr and opened as Tri-State Electronics. It remained as Tri-State for a number of years before it closed and re-opened as the Municipal Building.

Notes from Industrial Directories, etc...-
Warick Fashions Inc., a sub of Mode Craft Co. Inc.
then before that E.W. Twitchell Co. Inc. Textile Mill, then sometime prior to that the Pen-I-Sauken Silk Mill.