MONMOUTH — The family of Fred Lebel and Maine Heritage Weavers will  host a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the Alfred J. Lebel Textile Complex, 904 Main St. The event is open to the public.

There will be a brief ceremony honoring Lebel’s life and announcing the renaming of the complex in his memory as well as a scholarship in his name. The ceremony will wrap up with Lebel’s favorite activity — a walk around the production floor. 

For questions and directions, call 933-2605.

Lebel was born in Lewiston and began his career in textiles in 1952, shortly after serving in the military. He worked as a top executive at several companies but spent most of his time at the Bates Manufacturing Co., where he eventually became president. In 2002, he started Maine Heritage Weavers at the Hill Mill in Lewiston, then moved operations to Monmouth in 2013. He died in October of that year.

He received several awards throughout his career, including the Small Business Administration Veteran-Owned Small Business Award of 2013 and the Frances Perkins Award for his dedication to workplace safety.

The completion of the move to Monmouth was one of Lebel’s greatest dreams. According to the organizers of the celebration, the production floor is a representation of Lebel’s extensive knowledge and expertise in textile manufacturing, while the complex itself is a symbol of his pioneering spirit and his undying belief in Maine manufacturing and the craftsmen and craftswomen behind it.