machines. In addition to being one of the most recognized brands of textile equipment in the world, it remains the oldest manufacturer of sewing machines still made in the United States. Activeseam In 2008 Merrow introduced the Activeseam stitch as a technical improvement to flatlock and coverstitching for technical apparel. ActiveSeam is a branded stitch that Merrow markets as technically superior and more comfortable than flatlock. According to the company "for the first time in apparel, ActiveSeam creates a protected and marketable space around the seam of a garment or accessory with both aesthetic and technical advantages." ActiveSeam is a family of stitches created on the newest platform of MB class machines from Merrow. An ActiveSeam may be: Minimal (disappearing in the garment), Slim (a narrow flat seam), Comfort (a wide flat seam), or Infused 3D (a three-thread variant that exposes a hidden color in the seam when it stretches). Timeline 1822: J. Makens Merrow purchases a powder mill in Mansfield, Connecticut for the manufacture of gunpowder. The mill is destroyed in 1830 by a gunpowder explosion. 1838: J. Makins Merrow founds the first knitting mill in America in partnership with his son, Joseph B. Merrow, under the name J. M. Merrow and Son. This knitting mill is located on the site of the old gunpowder mill in Mansfield, Connecticut. 1840s: A machine shop is established at the Merrow mill to develop specialized machinery for the knitting operations. 1877: The world's first crochet machine is invented and patented by Joseph M. Merrow, then-president of the company. 1892: A need for expansion leads Merrow to rebuild its plant in Hartford, Connecticut. 1894–1947: Over 100 patents are issued in the Merrow name, most notably for the first shell-stitching machine and the first butt-seaming machine. 1964: Merrow expands operations in the South by opening Franklin Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary, in Lavonia, Georgia. 1972: Merrow acquires the Arrow Tool Company of Wethersfield, Connecticut, a machining subcontractor. 1982: Merrow moves its location from Hartford to Newington, Connecticut. 2004: Charlie Merrow and Owen Merrow great grandsons of Lena Bryant (and great nephews to Joseph B. Merrow) with their father Robert Merrow, organize a buyout of the Merrow Machine Company and move its headquarters to Wareham, Massachusetts, changing its name to The Merrow Sewing Machine Company. 2005: Merrow announces it will continue production of all major lines of sewing machines. 2008: Merrow develops and releases a