Made in McDowell

An advertising supplement to

Crafted LoCaLLy, used gLobaLLyMarCH 31, 2013

The Marion Business Association strongly supportsmanufacturing in Marion and McDowell County.

Manufacturing is a rich part of our heritageand continues to be an important part

of the local economy.Supporting all businesses, both largeand small is top priority for the MBA.

The Marion Business Association provides avariety of business resources including property

referrals, financing options, technical andbusiness plan assistance.

828-652-2215www.hometownmarion.com

MarCH 2013 the Mcdowell News www.McdowellNews.com 3

tabLe of CoNteNts

Cover Photos: (Left) Mike Dotson is a utility operator at the Baldor Electric plant. Photo courtesy of Baldor Electric. (Top Right) Utility Operator Alan Proctor is busy fitting components together that will be used in the mounted roller bearings. The plant makes products which can weigh in a range of 5 pounds to 4,000 pounds. Photo courtesy of Baldor Electric. (Bottom Right) Legendary chairmaker Max Woody in his workshop. Photo by Mike Conley/McDowell News.

In this special edition, we offer a glimpse at what workers, artists and crafts people produce right here at home and used literally all over the world and, in some cases, other worlds.Take Parker Legwear, for instance.The family-owned company has shipped its socks to more than 40 countries.

If you’ve kept your toes warm over the last few years, “you probably have put on a pair of our socks and may not be aware of it,” said Parker Legwear President Jeff Parker.Or how about Baxter Healthcare?The North Cove-Sevier plant’s products are used in 57 countries, helping save lives every day.

And Coats North America?Thread made at the Sevier plant was used in the parachutes and airbags that brought the Mars Rover safely down on the Red Planet.Round the clock, workers in McDowell are doing jobs that touch millions of lives.On a smaller scale, often by

themselves in their homes and shops, artists and crafts people are using their skills to produce paintings and pottery and jewelry – even award-winning wines – that are enjoyed everywhere.We hope you like these stories and photos – they, too, were made right here in McDowell.

Made witH pride, Made witH CraftsMaNsHip, Made iN MCdoweLL

Baldor ....................................................................................................... 4

Baxter Healthcare ..................................................................................... 6

Quality Plastics ......................................................................................... 8

IAC .......................................................................................................... 10

Parker Legwear ....................................................................................... 12

Don Balke .............................................................................................. 14

Coats North America .............................................................................. 16

Carriage House Door .............................................................................. 18

RDM Electronics ................................................................................... 20

Crane Resistoflex .................................................................................. 22

Max Woody ........................................................................................... 24

South Creek Vineyard and Winery ......................................................... 26

Richard Worthen .................................................................................... 28

Cathy Green ........................................................................................... 30

Susan Taylor .......................................................................................... 32

Ethan Allen ............................................................................................ 34

Parker Legwear in Old Fort has a popular outlet store where folks can buy the products directly from the manufacturer.

Photo by Mike Conley/McDowell News

4 Made in Mcdowell MarCH 2013

By MIKE [email protected]

For 17 years, the Baldor Electric plant in Marion has kept things rolling.

In 1996, Jim Hunt, then the governor of North Carolina, came to McDowell where he helped Terry Smith, then the chairman of the McDowell County Commission, and other county officials break ground for a new manufacturing plant. Due the rainy weather, the “ground-breaking” ceremony had to be moved inside to the auditorium of McDowell Technical Community College.

But the dreary weather could not dampen the excitement and enthusiasm of county leaders who were proud to launch the first manufacturing plant in the county’s brand new industrial park, located off of U.S. 221 South. That new plant was

called Dodge/Rockwell Automation and it would make mounted roller bearings for large machines.

Since then, the manufacturing plant has gone through some expansions and name changes but its mission remains the same. The plant is now owned by the Baldor Corp., which was became part of the ABB Group in 2011. Nationally, Baldor operates 26 facilities with revenues of around $2 billion. The ABB Group operates in approximately 100 countries around the world.

Last year, the Baldor plant went through a major $6.8 million expansion, which resulted in the addition of 96,000 square feet. It will create 41 new jobs over the next three years. This expansion allowed the plant to accommodate five additional manufacturing cells to support projected sales growth over the next Mark Wyatt works as a machinist

at the Baldor Electric plant.

three years. An investment of $10.9 million in new equipment provides the machining capability and control for the entire range of roller bearing housings. State and local government job creation tax credits and grants, totaling $1.7 million, helped fund the project, according to information from Baldor.

“One of the key objectives of the growth initiative is to establish in-house machining capability at the Marion plant for large bore split housed bearings,” reads a statement from the company. “Once completed, this expansion means the company will be able to fully support all of the mounted roller bearing business from one location.”

The plant now covers 260,000 square feet, which includes the 2012 expansion. A total of 133 people are employed at the Baldor plant.

What they make are mounted roller bearings that are used in a variety of industrial machines. Despite the name changes over the years, the one thing that is consistent at the plant is the Dodge brand name for the mounted

Photo courtesy of Baldor Electric

roller bearings. But when some folks hear the name Dodge, they get a little confused. Earley said the product from his plant is not related in any way to the Dodge automobile.

“We supply to a variety of industrial customers,” said Earley. “You will see our products on the side of the road in paving equipment and in wood chippers.”

The industrial customers which use the Dodge mounted roller bearings include aggregate/cement (which makes up 20 percent), air handling (18 percent), food/grain (15 percent), forestry (10 percent), mining (7 percent), environmental (6 percent), and miscellaneous (5 percent). The mounted roller bearings are also used in amusement park attractions such as roller coasters and water rides.

The housings for the bearings are made out of cast iron and the rolling elements are made out of steel. They come in different sizes and can weigh anywhere from 5 pounds to 4,000 pounds.

The employees at the Baldor plant work three shifts, five days a week. The majority of them have gotten training in machinery and technical skills. Sometimes, middle school and high school students are brought to the plant and given a tour as way to get them interested in this kind of career.

Inside the plant, the employees work to make and assemble the

Photo courtesy of Baldor Electric

Last year, the Baldor plant went through a major $6.8 million expansion, which resulted in the addition of 96,000 square feet. This expansion allowed the plant to accommodate five additional manufacturing cells to support projected sales growth over the next three years. An investment of $10.9 million in new equipment provides the machining capability and control for the entire range of roller bearing housings.

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NaMes CHaNge but baldor remains - plant rolling along after 17 years


Gary Young Jr. works in assembly at the Baldor Electric plant in Marion. The facility makes mounted roller bearings.


mounted roller bearings. On the plant floor, machinists work on a lathe to create the components for the mounted roller bearings. They take the cast iron and fashion it into the housing. An assembler inserts the bearing and the inside is greased for smooth operation. Once assembled, they are packaged and loaded onto trucks which take the roller bearings to a distribution center in Crossville, Tenn.

In addition to making the roller bearings, the Baldor plant gives back to the local community. Earley said his facility has been a big supporter of the United Way, the Corpening Memorial YMCA and the city’s skatepark. For the last 12 years, 100 percent of the employees have given something to the United Way campaign. Once a year, the plant holds a steak dinner to honor the local emergency services and law enforcement community.

“Any way we can help, we contribute our technical expertise at the college,” said Earley.

continued from page 4


From Staff Reports

Baxter Healthcare Corp.’s North Cove manufacturing facility located in Marion is an award-winning 1.4 million-square-foot plant that has been producing large-volume intravenous (IV) solutions and related products for more than 40 years.

Baxter’s North Cove facility began production in 1972 as the flagship plant for Baxter IV solutions in flexible containers and remains the market leader in this product line. Today, the plant’s 1,825 employees produce hundreds of different IV and peritoneal dialysis solutions, as well as empty containers and component parts for other Baxter facilities. The facility supplies finished goods which are used in 57 countries, and provides component parts to other Baxter manufacturing facilities in 27 countries, according to information from the company.

A leader in lean manufacturing principles, Baxter’s North Cove facility has received numerous awards and recognition for its performance over the years. In 2009, it was recognized by the North Carolina Committee for Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (NCESGR). The North Cove facility also was the first two-time winner of the

The North Cove facility supplies finished goods that are used in 57 countries, and provides component parts to other Baxter manufacturing facilities in 27 countries.

baxter produCts used in 57 countries

Photo courtesy of Baxter Healthcare

Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing, winning in both 2000 and 2007. The Shingo Prize, sponsored jointly by Utah State University and the National Association of Manufacturers, recognizes manufacturers in the United States, Canada and Mexico that demonstrate excellence in manufacturing, customer satisfaction and business performance.

The Baxter plant in North Cove also received the Gold Medal

Winner ASQ (American Society for Quality) International Team Excellence Award in 2005. In 2004, Baxter North Cove was recognized as Western North Carolina Large Manufacturer of the Year and awarded the Advantage West North Carolina Golden Eagle Award for Community Financial and Employee Impact.

The facility has also earned both the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 Environmental Management System Standard to systematically manage its environmental programs and the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 to properly manage hazards that pose risk to employees. Successful ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 assessments verify that a facility’s management system enables compliance with relevant regulations and company policy, according to information from the company.

The North Cove plant has earned internal recognition as

one of Baxter’s Great Health and Safety performers for having completed at least 10 years of work and/or reached 1 million hours or more (the equivalent of 500 people working for a year) without an occupational injury or illness resulting in days lost. North Cove recently achieved 4 million hours worked without a lost time accident.

Since 2009, the facility has reduced its water usage, energy usage and total waste generated through a variety of innovative programs.

For example, instead of sending its wastewater treatment sludge to a landfill, the facility generates an effective soil fertilizer. A contractor specializing in this approach handles the land application. As a result, the site diverts more than 450 metric tons of material from landfill annually, while putting the material to beneficial use. In another example, the facility has used a local biomass fuel – a renewable energy source – instead of fuel oil since 1986 to generate steam to support the manufacturing process. The


Outside Baxter Healthcare in North Cove.

continued on page 7


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Baxter’s North Cove facility’s 1,825 employees produce hundreds of different intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions, as well as empty containers and component parts for other Baxter facilities.

Baxter’s 1.4 million-square-foot North Cove manufacturing facility has been producing large-volume intravenous solutions and related products for more than 40 years.

biomass fuel consists of wood waste solids from local lumbering operations, according to information from the company.

Each year Baxter’s employees at the North Cove facility devote more than 5,000 hours in the community through a number of volunteer and fundraising initiatives benefiting such organizations as United Way, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, Southmountain Children and Family Services, McDowell Trails Association, Avery County Gifts from the Heart and Hospice of McDowell County. The facility also partners with N.C. A&T University to offer intern programs for students and participates in job fairs and other mentoring and training opportunities.






For the past quarter of a century, Quality Plastics has produced the best in injection molded products for a wide variety of uses, from swimming pools to flutes to RV accessories.

Although the term “injection molding” may be a little unfamiliar with many folks, just about everything you use or touch has plastic parts that are made through this process. And Quality Plastics has been making them since 1988.

“Pretty much 90 percent of the things you touch are injection molding,” said Jodi Williams, customer service representative. She is also the daughter of Wayne Buff, founder and president.

Quality Plastics Custom Molding Injection is located at 71 Glenwood Avenue, just off Rutherford Road and situated behind Pyatt Heating & Air Conditioning. Buff started the business 25 years ago at that location and he leased the first building from nearby resident Elsie Pyatt Richardson. A few years later, Buff added another section to Quality Plastics as his business grew. The company now covers around 22,000 to 24,000 square feet and employs 15 full-time

workers and five to six part-time workers.

What they do is take raw materials, such as nylon pellets, and feed it through a drying hopper, which has an auger in it. Under pressure and high temperatures, the raw material is melted and injected into a mold for whatever part is being made. The plastic is injected into the mold at a high pressure to make sure that the mold is completely filled before the material hardens. Quality Plastics works with such materials as polycarbonate, polystyrene and others to make whatever part is needed by the customer, according to Williams.

“From its manufacturing facility nestling in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, Quality Plastics produces custom injection molds which vary in size from thick sectioned large parts, to intricately designed small precision parts for a myriad of applications, utilizing rigid and elastomeric

thermoplastics,” reads the website for the company.

Since 1988, Quality Plastics has made coat hangers, light switches, skylights, parts for fire extinguishers and even some parts of the aerospace industry. It even made a series of flutes for a musical company in Brasstown.

On a recent visit by The McDowell News, employee Dana Herald was busy fitting together the pieces for the wands of fire extinguishers. Another employee was hard at work making handles for kayaks.

“Next week, we might be making something else,” said Buff.

Quality Plastics also makes a variety of products for RVs. Campers Friend, a division of Quality Plastics, provides top-quality accessories for the camper and the RV enthusiast. The Campers Friend line includes cable reels, satellite reels, utility

blocks, step covers and other items designed to make the RV lifestyle more enjoyable and fun. Tom Johnson Camping Center, both here in Marion and in Concord, and other RV and camper dealerships sell these products.

The large machines used in the injection molding process are rated by their clamp tonnage, which refers to the amount of force that the machine can exert on a mold while the molten plastic is being injected. The 19 machines at Quality Plastics have clamp tonnages that range from 28 tons of pressure to 500 tons of pressure. The biggest machine, called the Cincinnati, can develop 500 tons of clamp force.

“Additional equipment such as chillers, temperature control units, material dryers, and grinders will be utilized to provide quality production,” reads the company’s website.

“Secondary operations such as pad printing, sonic welding, hot stamping, milling, drill press operations, programmable length wire cutting/stripping and assembly operations also


Wayne Buff, founder and president of Quality Plastics, holds a dish spacer made by his company.


Jodi Williams, customer service representative, and her father Wayne Buff, the founder and president, stand in front of the Cincinnati, the largest and most powerful machine at Quality Plastics Custom Molding Injection.

continued on page 9

QuaLity pLastiCsCompany specializes in injection molding


Quality Plastics has also designed its ownrange of high-quality products for the campingand RV industry. Campers Friend produces awide range of camping and RV products suchas: Utility Blocks, Glow Rugs & Scrub Rugs,Sewer Weights, Dish Spacers, Multi-StrapRetaining System and much more.

All of our products are designed, sourced and manufactured right here in theUSA, something we are very proud of; and, we encourage you to “Buy USA” on

every occasion you possibly can!To learn more about Campers Friend, visit: www.campersfriend.com

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injection molding services tocommercial interests acrossthe country. Our custominjection molds vary fromlarge, thick sectional parts tosmall precision parts for anycommercial need. We have19 injection molding pressesranging from 28 ton - 500 ton.

Complete engineering, tool drawing and moldconstruction is also available through our facility.

Quality is Key ...we provide thehighest quality at the lowest possible cost.

To learn more about Quality Plastics, visit:www.qualityplasticscmi.com

available. Complete engineering, tool drawing, and mold construction can be available through our facility.”

Since the company got started 25 years ago, it has faced its share of challenges, like so many other small American manufacturers. Buff said Quality Plastics had 30 employees before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) took effect in 1994. Quality Plastics then had to regroup and find a way to keep going. Over the next several years,


Dana Herald, an employee of Quality Plastics Custom Molding Injection, assembles the plastic wands that will become parts of fire extinguishers.


Wayne Buff, founder and president of Quality Plastics, holds a utility block that is made by his company. It is one of the Campers Friend line of products, which consist of accessories for RV and camper enthusiasts.

it then grew to 80 employees working three shifts. But when the Asian borders opened, the company went back down to nothing again, said Buff.

In spite of all this, Quality Plastics Custom Molding Injection keeps making those small parts that so many of us take for granted. It has customers all over the United States and ships products all the way to Ireland.

“We’ve started over three times through no fault of ours,” he said. “We have a roof over our head. We’re not grumbling.”



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For many years, it was known as Collins & Aikman, or simply C&A. Since October 2007, it has been the International Automotive Components plant.

Regardless of the name, the large manufacturing facility on U.S. 70 in Old Fort has produced quality products that can be found in a variety of vehicles. Chances are your car or truck or SUV has interior carpet that was made at the local IAC plant by

local workers. If you ride a new Harley, your bike’s cargo container has a liner made at the IAC plant, too.

“We’ve worked hard to get the business,” said Kenny Greene, human resources manager. “There’s a sense of pride. They are making a carpet for a particular vehicle.”

Founded in 1891, Collins & Aikman Corp. made automotive floor and acoustic systems and was a top supplier of instrument panels, automotive fabrics, plastic based trim and convertible top systems. The operations by Collins & Aikman

covered 15 countries and involved about 120 plants and facilities. The Old Fort plant was built in 1966.

However, C&A filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005 and went of business in October 2007. That is around the time when the Old Fort plant became part of International Automotive Components (IAC).

Today, the plant is busier than ever. Around 452 work in the sprawling 375,000-square-foot main building while 67 work at the adjacent engineering center, which covers 65,000 square feet.

What they do mostly is manufacture carpet and other interior parts for automobiles. They make trunk liners, wheel liners and insulator parts. Honda is the largest customer but the plant also does work for Toyota, Ford and Chrysler.

IAC just started making a tour pack liner for Harley-Davidson. It is the liner for the inside of the cargo containers that are located on the back of Harley motorcycles, according to Greene.

This year, the IAC plant in Old Fort will add General Motors to its list of customers. More people are expected to be hired by the middle of this year to handle the new business with GM. Already around 20 new people have been brought in and more are

expected to be hired later this year.For Honda, the IAC plant makes

interior carpets for the Odyssey minivan and the Pilot SUV. Toyota’s Sienna minivan and Sequoia SUV also get the full carpet treatment from the local IAC plant. IAC also makes interior carpeting for Ford’s super duty trucks.

The carpet for these and other autos are actually made at IAC’s sister plant in Albemarle out of a synthetic fiber. Then, it is shipped to the Old Fort plant by truck. Local workers then run it through an extrusion machine. A coating and a backing is applied to the carpet. Then, the interior carpet goes through a molding process where it is shaped and cut to fit in whatever automobile it is being made for. Robots precisely cut the pieces into shape using high-pressure water jets.

Leftover pieces do not go to waste either. Greene said IAC finds new uses for the carpet waste, which used to be sent to a landfill. It is now shipped to a cement plant in South Carolina where it is burned for fuel.

In June of last year, Honda honored the IAC plant in Old Fort with not one but two awards.

Honda honored the local facility for its outstanding delivery and productivity. The plant also got a much rarer honor from Honda as being recognized as an outstanding corporate citizen.

“It’s always a great day when one of our customers, a very important customer, comes to your

iaC: ‘tHere’s a seNse of pride’Company supplies the nation’s auto industry


At the IAC plant in Old Fort, the carpet for automobile interiors goes through a molding process where it is shaped and cut to fit in whatever automobile it is being made for. Robots precisely cut the pieces into shape using high-pressure water jets.

continued on page 11


The Mayor and City Council of the City of Marionexpress our deep gratitude and appreciation toour local manufacturing sector, which is such a

vital part of our economy and heritage.We thank all of our industries for their tireless

dedication and the consistent superior quality oftheir work. The City is always here to help and tofigure out how we can say “yes” to your needs.

Please call 652-3551, 652-2215 or visitwww.marionnc.org for more information.

plant and gives you an award,” said Dave Sudzina, manager of the Old Fort plant, at the June awards presentation.

Elly Bradford, supply chain sustainability manager for Honda’s North American purchasing division, was the one who presented the awards in June. The first one given was the Honda Delivery Award, which recognizes the Old Fort plant for outstanding delivery of products to their assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio.

The second was the Honda Corporate Citizenship Award. This award encompasses six categories in which Honda “views as key indicators of a plant’s total citizenship.” A total of 177 Honda supplier companies applied for this award, that began with a lengthy application process and, if qualified, a telephone interview, according to a news release.

In the final determination stage, Honda sent their “subject matter experts” to the Old Fort plant and assessed, audited and interviewed for each category. The six categories were ethics and compliance, diversity, environment, health and

IAC employees Cher Vang (left) and Don Lytle stack pieces that will go into the Honda Odyssey.

safety, community involvement and government relations.

After all of this, the IAC plant in Old Fort was one of two facilities to receive this award. It was also the first time that the Old Fort operation got this honor from Honda.

Bradford said this achievement was even more remarkable considering the awards were earned during the time of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the disastrous flooding in Thailand. This meant key parts were much more difficult to obtain.

“We at Old Fort feel this is an award to share with our community,” said Sudzina at the June presentation. “We realize that no industrial plant operates on an island. It takes partnership, support and contribution from employees, educational entities, government and community leaders to achieve success. The Honda Corporate Citizenship Award embodies that spirit.”

Greene said IAC donated the property for the EMS station in Old Fort and has contributed to the Corpening YMCA. The company has also donated money for local fire departments, schools and the Red Cross.

The International Automotive Components plant in Old Fort makes interior carpet for automobiles like the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sequoya and Ford super duty trucks. In this photo, employees Faye Williams (left) and Paula Smith stack carpet which will go into the Ford super duty trucks.



continued from page10


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Parker Legwear is a survivor.For 67 years, the products made

by the Parker family businesses have kept countless numbers of people warm, dry and looking good too. And

the company now known as Parker Legwear is keeping the textile industry going in McDowell while others like it have faded from the scene.

Located on Catawba Avenue in Old Fort, Parker Legwear is a descendant of the third-generation, family-owned company which was started in 1946.

E.W. Parker Jr. started Parker Hosiery 67 years ago in Old Fort following World War II.

Like many other textile-related industries, Parker Hosiery did good business over the following decades. But in the 1990s, they and many other textile companies faced tough times as the industry shifted to other countries.

Jeff Parker, the president of Parker Legwear, and his sister Amy, the vice president, are the grandchildren of E.W. Parker Jr. They started the current business in 2008 to sell imported socks, as well as make and sell their own products. The family tradition is being carried on by Jeff

and Amy and their 25 dedicated employees. It is one of the few hosiery companies still producing in North Carolina.

In order to survive in today’s economic conditions and world markets, they followed a “hybrid model.” Some of their products are made in Old Fort while the rest are imported goods.

“We make 25 percent of what we sell,” said Jeff Parker. “The rest comes from all over the world, China, Korea, Poland, everywhere you can imagine.”

At its Old Fort plant, Parker Legwear makes casual-type socks for such brands as Eddie Bauer and The Gap.

“We knit quite a few socks for Wigwam, which is a recognizable brand,” he said. “We also make socks for Cabella’s.”

The family-owned company has shipped its socks to more than 40 countries worldwide, according to Jeff Parker.

surviviNg aNd tHriviNgparker Legwear ships to more than 40 countries


Jeff Parker, president of Parker Legwear, stands in the company’s outlet store next to the section of socks that are made right there in Old Fort. Inside the outlet store, the locally made socks are displayed between two American flags. “If you want to buy American, shop between the flags,” he said.



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“If you have lived in this country for more than a few years, you probably have put on a pair of our socks and may not be aware of it,” he said.

The employees there work one shift, five days a week. One of them is especially dedicated. Lois Barlowe has worked there for 51 years. On a recent visit by a McDowell News reporter, she was busy putting socks onto the boarding machine, which presses them into shape.

The plant also has 12 stainless steel tubs for dyeing the socks.

Most of the socks made at the large plant on Catawba Avenue are made out of such materials as nylon and cotton. One type of sock for Eddie Bauer is made out of a bamboo/cotton blend. Parker Legware also makes a special type of socks that are endorsed by the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club socks are made out of recycled cotton and recycled plastic bottles. Parker Legware is the exclusive licensee of the Sierra Club socks.

“Doing the right things by their customers, employees and planet Earth has kept the Parkers’ business thriving over the decades,” reads

Lois Barlowe is one of the dedicated employees at Parker Legwear. She has worked for both Parker Hosiery and Parker Legwear for 51 years now. She is busy putting socks onto the boarding machine, which presses them.

the company’s website. “They’ve consistently leveraged technological innovations like the mechanically-linked toe seam – the most comfortable toe seam on the market – to stay one step ahead of the pack and produce the finest socks available.

“By working with recycled materials, Parker Legwear conserves many limited resources, reduces the energy required during multiple phases of production, diminishes the carbon footprint of manufacturing and eases the impact on the environment. Using organic cotton eliminates the need for tons of toxic pesticides.”

Another popular feature at the Parker Legwear plant is the outlet store. It is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also drop by any weekday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and someone from the company office can let you browse through the store. Folks who shop there can buy directly the top-quality socks that are made in McDowell.

Inside the outlet store, the locally made socks are displayed between two American flags.

“If you want to buy American, shop between the flags,” said Jeff Parker.

At Parker Legwear, Judy Noblitt (left) and Barbara Carolina are busy packing socks for shipment. The family-owned company has shipped its socks to more than 40 countries worldwide, according to President Jeff Parker.



continued from page12


By Landdis [email protected]

One of the area’s most famous artists may not have grown up in McDowell, but for more than half of his career he’s called it his home.

Don Balke, known for his wildlife and scenic art, began drawing at an early age.

“I think my art was inspired a lot by the animal life I grew up around,” said Balke, originally from Wisconsin. “I was raised on a farm with no electricity, out in the boondocks. There was a lot of animal life around the farm, some of which we hunted for food and to bring in a little extra money.”

While growing up in the rural area,

Balke started drawing the things he saw in nature.

“In grade school I did do a lot of drawing,” said Balke while standing in his Dysartsville gallery containing hundreds of framed prints. “I remember doing a sketch of a black bear trying to catch a fish in a stream. I guess that was one of the first nature drawings I can remember doing.”

Balke said he was helped along by the “Let’s Draw Program” that put art into the classrooms of rural communities in Wisconsin.

“Every school year we (my grade school) submitted 12 individual sketches to the University of Wisconsin where they would be judged,” said Balke. “Judges at the university would decide which

drawings were the best. I can remember one year finishing second and another young girl finishing first. After that I kind of stayed away from art, only sketching in my spare time.”

Then while in the military and only sketching in his free time, his future wife encouraged him to go to art school.

“My wife sent me all kinds of information about art schools,” he said. “At the time it didn’t make sense to me, because I didn’t think I had what it took to be an artist. Then I came out of service and three months later found myself in school.”

Balke credits his wife for his artistic growth.

“It was my wife who really kicked my bottom into school,” he said. “She really saw something that I didn’t see. A lot of people want to hear that you’re self made, but I don’t think that’s the case with many people. To me, no one is self made. In life, you get help from all different angles.”

As the years passed, Balke’s work was recognized by people around the world. As his work became more and more popular, he began to get calls for special commissions and even had several series of first-day covers.

First-day covers are specially postmarked envelopes featuring

decorative drawings and historical or factual information about the subject decorating the envelope.

“I’ve done first-day covers of state animals, state flowers, state birds and many other different groups of things,” he said.

All together, Balke has created upwards of 800 pieces of original art for the various types of first-day covers for which he was commissioned.

Thirty-three years ago, he and his family decided to move to an area they had traveled through many times on their way to family vacation in Florida and the North Carolina coast.

“Originally we planned on moving to the mountains of Tennessee, because of how inspiring they were to me, but then after researching the area and finding out that this side of the mountain had better weather, we decided to move here,” said Balke.

That’s when Balke and his family packed up and created the home and gallery the artist still uses to display and sell his work to folks from around the world.

“We get several hundred visitors a year at the gallery,” he said.

At 80 years old, Balke continues to work on his original pieces. Each one inspired by something he’s seen near home, or during one of his many trips abroad.

“We’ve traveled to Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Africa and several other places to get a better idea of wildlife

iNspired by Natureworld-renowned artist don balke creates art in mountain home

This original Balke print titled “Elephant Warning” was inspired by an encounter during the author’s many different trips around the world.

“Nature’s Fisherman,” another piece of art by Balke, captures a bear foraging for food.

Photo by Landdis Hollifield/ McDowell News

Natural light is the key to all of Don Balke’s works. Without it, he says that shading and coloration are hard to get true to nature.



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and nature in those areas,” he said. “From each trip we bring back a lot of information that I use to create my artwork, like photographs and documentation about the weather and climate there.”

On one of those trips, Balke got close to an elephant and was surprised at its reaction to the vehicle he was riding in.

“We were in the back end of the truck watching a herd of probably 200 elephants pass by,” Balke said, pointing to a picture of a fierce-looking elephant. “This was the matriarch of the herd and she came really close to where we were parked. You could feel the ground shake with each one of her steps.”

When the elephant got close, the person showing them around just backed up and spooked the mammoth animal away.

“I was surprised that us just backing up made her pivot and run back to her herd,” said Balke. “The

Each first day-cover features a drawing on the front, a special stamp and information about the subject pictured on the envelope on the back.


whole thing was something I’ll never forget.”

The artist has no plans of stopping anytime soon and is currently working on a piece of art inspired by his daughter’s farm.

“I’ve painted my daughter’s horses before, and now I’m in the sketching process of my next piece featuring them,” he said. “This sketch is inspired from a painting that I currently have hanging in the gallery called ‘Katie’s Joy.’ It’s inspired for my daughter’s love of horses and the farm she lives on.”

Folks interested in visiting Balke’s gallery and seeing his work close up can do so by calling 652-2703 or by visiting www.balkegallery.com.




Whether it is the Mars Rover or a racecar driver’s suit or a simple baseball, the thread made at Coats North America’s Sevier plant holds it all together.

Started in 1953, the American Thread plant for many years produced quality threads that are strong, durable and reliable. It is now part of Coats. Established in 1755, Coats is the world’s leading industrial thread and textile crafts business employing 20,000 employees in over 70 countries across six continents around the world.

The plant makes threads that are used in the auto industry and aerospace applications. The threads made at the Sevier plant can be found in firefighter turnout gear and suits worn by racecar drivers. They were used in the air bags and parachutes for the Mars Rover. The red threads that are carefully spun at the plant are used to stitch together baseballs and American flags. You can also find Coats threads in feminine hygiene products.

“A lot of the products we have today, 37 percent, did not exist five

Coats North America employee Annette Biddix is busy winding the spools of thread inside the Sevier plant.


These machines at Coats North America’s Sevier plant are busy making all kinds of thread products. The plant first opened in 1953 and was for many years known as American Thread.

years ago,” said Training Manager Darrel Johnson.

Johnson said his family has been employed there since 1953, when the plant first opened up as American Thread. Sixty years ago, his father was the 28th person called to work at the new plant. Since then, Johnson’s mother, sisters, brother-in-law, cousins and nieces have all been employed there.

At one time, it was the largest finishing plant in the United States.

Today, the Sevier plant has around 400 employees and the building covers 560,000 square feet.

Employees at Coats produce a mixture of cotton and polyester, which is used to make the stars in American flags. They also make Kevlar. This material is five times stronger than steel and used in bullet-proof vests and body armor for the military and law enforcement.

The Coats employees create products for the automotive, medical

and fiber optic industries. They make the threads used in automotive products like tires and hoses.

They make the cotton strings for tampons that are produced by Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Coats North America’s Sevier plant also follows U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines in the making of its feminine hygiene products and suture threads.

In one area, the plant has winding machines that were built in 1908 by the American Thread Co. Even though they are more than 100 years old, these machines are still being used and are as important to the plant’s operation as ever. The plant also dyes its threads.

Representatives of the plant say they are always seeking to make their working environment safer. In fact, the Sevier plant has been recognized for its outstanding employee safety record, in addition to its quality products.

In August 2008, the plant raised a flag Friday proclaiming it to be a

“Carolina Star.” At that time, N.C. Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry presented the management and employees of the Coats North America plant with the Carolina Star Award. The award recognizes businesses in North Carolina with exceptional safety records and control measures. U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler was also on hand to help congratulate the thread plant on earning this coveted honor.

Actually, the Coats North America plant first earned this award in 2003. The August 2008 ceremony was to acknowledge that Coats had been recertified as a Carolina Star employer. Throughout North Carolina, only 107 firms had earned the award from the N.C. Department of Labor. It recognizes workers who are self-sufficient in their ability to control hazards at the worksite.

During the 2008 presentation, the state Secretary of Labor and the congressman were given a tour of the plant. In one vast empty room, Berry and Shuler were told in 2008 about how the plant will use that huge vacant space to make five new and different products. They are Kermel thread, which is fire retardant and wearable; Tencil fiber, which is made from wood pulp and is soft as silk but



Coats NortH aMeriCa reMaiNs oN CuttiNg edgesevier plant holding new products together


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This machine at the Coats North America’s Sevier plant contains the red cotton fiber used in stitching baseballs together.

This machine at the Coats North America plant is winding the bottom bobbins for a sewing machine. This one and several others like it are more than 100 years old but are working as hard as ever.



stronger than polyester; a tire cord made out of nylon; star yarn, a mixture of cotton and polyester that is used to sew the stars on American flags; and Kevlar, five times stronger than steel and able to withstand high heat.

After the tour, Berry presented the Carolina Star Award to Coats officials and congratulated the employees on their outstanding safety record. She also gave a special flag to the employees that told everyone Coats is a Carolina Star worksite.

Today, the Sevier plant has a display area that shows off all the different products that are made there. The products checked for safety as well. Every piece that is destined for a safety-related product is inspected one at a time.



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Television show host Dr. Phil McGraw has them in front of his house. Likewise, baseball great Derek Jeter and many of the top NASCAR drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff

Gordon have them at their homes too.What they have are the custom-

made, handcrafted garage doors produced by Carriage House Door Co. For around 14 years, Carriage House Door has built a solid reputation for its garage doors made by skilled

craftsmen out of some of the finest woods available.

“We’re a pretty good sized player in this industry,” said Mike Martin, vice president and co-owner of Carriage House Door.

The company was started by Martin and Gary Singley, president of the company, in a 400-square-feet space in Sacramento, Calif.

Over the years, the company grew and became well-known for its beautiful, hand-crafted garage doors, drive gates, garden gates and even shutters. In addition to Martin and Singley, Doug Sequera, vice president, is the other owner of the company and runs the California operation.

“The Carriage House wood garage doors are hand-built to your specifications and are made from the finest materials available,” reads the company’s website. “Exceptional workmanship, superior woods and professional hardware are standard features, ensuring long-lasting

beauty, reliable performance and low maintenance.”

In addition to the wood products, Carriage House Door Co. also offers garage doors made from steel.

In time, the owners of the company felt a need to expand their operations toward the East Coast. They found the perfect location in Old Fort. At the time, a 60,000-square-foot building which had been previously used by Coats North America was sitting empty at 1571 East Main St. or U.S. 70. It was close to Interstate 40. When they were shown the building by County Manager Chuck Abernathy, the owners of Carriage House Door knew they found the right place.

“It was just perfect for us,” said Martin. “The layout was perfect. It really is an ideal location for shipping.”

This building would become Carriage House Door’s facility for the entire East Coast and the Midwest, too.

“We go all the way from Portland, Maine to Naples Fla. to Houston, Texas and to Minnesota,” said Martin.

In addition to the Sacramento and Old Fort facilities, Carriage House Door opened another plant in Mexicali, Mexico two years ago.

a soLid reputatioNCarriage House doors supplies the stars

Alvero Lopez, an employee of Carriage House Door Co., handcrafts one of the company’s signature garage doors at the Old Fort plant.


Mike Martin, vice president and one of the owners, stands beside a large section of wood that will become one of the hand-crafted and beautiful products made by Carriage House Door Co. in Old Fort.




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Mike Martin, vice president and one of the owners, stands in front of the tall gate that can be easily seen from U.S. 70 in Old Fort. The 16-foot-tall gate was originally built by Carriage House Door Co. for a nationally known celebrity. It was to be installed at his Beverly Hills home. However, the rules in that exclusive community forced the celebrity to get a smaller set of gates instead from the company.

The Carriage House Door building in Old Fort has become known for the large wooden gate that stands prominently out front. Martin said his building is known as the place with the “Jurassic Park” or “King Kong” gate.

This 16-foot-tall gate was originally built for a nationally known celebrity’s house in Beverly Hills, Calif. Apparently, Beverly Hills officials said the doors were too tall and did not meet that affluent city’s rules. They ended up at the Old Fort plant instead and the celebrity bought some smaller doors from Carriage House that eventually ended up at his Beverly Hills home.

Martin said his company has made doors for all of the top NASCAR drivers and baseball players like Jeter. The 100-percent handmade doors can be found around here at some of the houses along Lake James.

“Everything is custom made,” said Martin. “We sell through garage door dealers. We want licensed dealers to install the doors.”

Carriage House Door Co. is known for its collaborative approach and works extensively with designers and architects to customize a wooden garage for a luxury home. The company uses clear vertical grain western red cedar, Spanish cedar, mahogany, vertical grain Douglas fir and other top-quality woods. They are fitted with decorative metal hardware such as hinges, knockers and levers. You can also pick out steel doors with wood covering, which is a less expensive option.

“We’re known for perfection,” said Martin. “We don’t build garage doors. We build furniture. Our wood comes from the best suppliers in the country. We grade every single piece. We color match the doors.”

A total of 32 people work at the Old Fort facility and it has been that way for the past two to three years, despite the economic hardships that have occurred. All of the employees are cross-trained so anyone can fill in for someone else.

It takes them around 40 hours

Mike Martin, vice president and co-owner of Carriage House Door Co., stands next to some samples of wood that are being tested to see how well they stand up to the elements.



to produce a set of garage doors, from the sales call to the finished product. The widest single door built by Carriage House Door was 24 feet wide. The tallest gate was 16 feet tall, the ones that now stand in front of the building.

“We’ve got a great crew,” said Martin. “Everyone knows how to do everything.”




RDM Industrial Electronics Inc. does not really make products. Rather, the company remakes them.

“I don’t create things. I redo,” said Rick Long, co-owner and co-president.

Now in its 25th year in business, RDM Industrial Electronics has become the leader in remanufacturing old and used electronic components that are used in gas pumps, convenience stores, food services and automated car washes. At RDM’s plant on Harmony Grove Road in Nebo, the employees work diligently to take these old components, update them to the latest technology and give them a new life. They are then resold at a cheaper price to distributors than if they were bought brand new. This process saves money for the customers and keeps these old electronic boards from being disposed of in a landfill or some other place.

RDM has always been a family-oriented operation. Rick and his brothers, Doug and Mike, started the business in February 1988. Each of them had earned a degree in electronics. The Long brothers started RDM inside the basement of Mike’s house, located on Harmony Grove Road. They rebuilt old electronic boards, printers and tank monitors that had originally been made by other manufacturers.

It did not take long for RDM to move into a larger building. “When you start in the basement, there’s only one way you can go and that’s up,” said Rick.

RDM moved into a 4,000-square-foot building but even that would not be enough. Over time, three more buildings would be added. The company now employs 71 workers. A few years ago, RDM acquired a competitor in Lakewood, Colo. and it has become the distribution point for the Western states. RDM also started rebuilding car wash electronics. The company ships its rebuilt electronic components to distributors all over the United States and foreign countries as well.

Sadly, Mike Long, the youngest brother, passed away more than 10 years ago but his other brothers have kept the business running and making it a leader in this industry. They serve as co-presidents with Rick overseeing sales and marketing activities and Doug in charge of operations. Richard Mull is the plant manager while Rick White is the mechanical supervisor.

Michelle Davis is in charge of the inside sales while David Gallion is over the outside sales. RDM’s sales have gotten bigger since it has been in business as the demand for refurbished and updated electronics keeps growing.

However, Doug said the last three or four years have been flat due to the economic recession. “But this year started out great,” he added.

At RDM, employees carefully take old electronic components for gas pumps, automated car washes, convenience stores, coffee machines and even slushy machines and give them new life. They repair them and bring them up to the latest standards, making them state-of-the-art again. Most of the technicians at RDM have a two-year degree in electronics.

“Some of this is 30-year-old technology,” said Rick. “Some work is

rdM eLeCtroNiCs gives old products new life

Rick Long is co-owner and co-president of RDM Industrial Electronics in Nebo. He is standing in front of the some of the old electronic components that his company refurbishes and brings up to the latest standards.

At RDM Industrial Electronics, employees plan to refurbish this old gas pump from the 1920s, complete with the glass tank. To the right is an updated gas pump featuring the latest technology.

done with a microscope.”Many of these technicians have

between 10 to 20 years of experience working on particular pieces of equipment, said Rick, adding his company has a low turnover rate.

RDM has the largest stock of remanufactured equipment in the industry, according to the company’s website. “We have the products that any distributor would need,” said Rick on the website. “The availability of products that we have blows our competition away. We’re not the oldest in the industry, but we’re the most reliable.”

Rick said RDM is able to ship finished goods out faster than



Founded 25 years ago, RDM Industrial Electronics Inc. covers several buildings on Harmony Grove Road in Nebo and has 71 employees.




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Outside in a rear lot, RDM Industrial Electronics has a large collection of old gas pumps that are waiting to be updated and made new again. They will then be resold at a cheaper price to distributors. The updated gas pumps from RDM are less expensive than buying brand new ones.

At RDM Industrial Electronics, technician John Fowler is busy rebuilding an electronics component for a car wash.

the competition or the original manufacturer. It is also a less expensive alternative than buying the electronic component new.

When a manufacturer releases a new product, RDM will often buy it and learn how it is built. That keeps the company up-to-date and one step ahead of others, according to the company’s website. “We’ll be up to speed on that piece of equipment before it even comes out of warranty,” said Doug on the website. “We intend to be the first in the marketplace on any piece of new equipment.”

Outside, RDM has a collection of dozens of old gas pumps that are waiting to be refurbished and put back into use.

“When they leave here, they will look brand new,” said Rick to The McDowell News. “They will probably be less than half of a new one.”



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For more than a quarter of a century, Crane Resistoflex in Marion has made quality products that can stand up to the toughest and most corrosive materials known.

Located at 1 Quality Way, the Crane Resistoflex plant manufactures corrosion-resistant plastic-lined piping systems, fittings and flexible products. These linings prevent corrosive fluids from eating through steel and other metals. The 320,000-square-foot plant has 226 employees who work three shifts, Monday through Friday.

Jim Strom, vice president and general manager of the Crane Resistoflex facility near Marion, said his company is definitely the world’s largest manufacturer of Teflon-lined piping products.

Resistoflex is a trusted brand within the Crane Co. that has been headquartered in Marion since 1987. The local Crane Resistoflex plant is located in the former Air Preheater Co. building.

“We still have Air Preheater people who work here,” said Kevin Hall, human resources manager.

Founded in 1936, Resistoflex started out manufacturing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-lined braided hoses in New Jersey. The PVA-lined hoses were superior to rubber hoses for all types of marine, automotive and

aviation applications both commercial and military. The hoses were stronger than others being used in those days. The company’s name came from the phrase “resist the ills of flexing,” according to company officials.

After World War II, the jet engine placed new demands on existing hose materials in terms of corrosion resistance and higher temperature handling capabilities. Resistoflex started working with Teflon and was one of the first companies to make use of this material, which was new at the time. The company began working with a new material called Teflon PTFE and eventually developed and patented a process to extrude PTFE tubing. PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene,

Resistoflex invented the PTFE-lined hose in 1953 for the aerospace and chemical industries. In 1956, the company also introduced the world’s first pipe and fittings lines with Teflon PTFE.

In 1985, Resistoflex was acquired and became one of the brands of the Crane Co., which dates back to 1855. A couple of years later, the Resistoflex

part of Crane moved its operations from New Jersey to North Carolina. This allowed the company to be closer to its customers, which were also moving to the South as well.

The Resistoflex operation worked closely with McDowell County officials to find a new location for their facility. They got assistance from County Manager Chuck Abernathy and Chamber Executive Director Rod Birdsong in finding a new suitable location. This would be more than just a plant. It would become the world headquarters for the Resistoflex operation within the Crane Co.

The Resistoflex officials found what they were looking for at the former Air Preheater building, located at 1 Quality Way off of Old Greenlee Road.

Hall was the first new employee hired to work at the new Crane Resistoflex plant in Marion back in 1987.

“I have been here since day one,” he said.

Since then, Crane Resistoflex has added 40,000 square feet to the building, bringing it up the current 320,000 square feet.

In 1995, Resistoflex added a lined pipe and fittings manufacturing capacity in Singapore and established a joint venture in Thailand, becoming, itself, a truly global supplier of plastic lined piping products. To further strengthen the Resistoflex commitment to Asia, a sales and fabrication center was opened in China in 1997, according to a company statement.

In 1998, the company acquired the plastic lined piping products division of the Dow Chemical Co., making it the largest and most technologically advanced lined piping manufacturer in the world.

a gLobaL Leaderresistoflex world headquarters located right here

Jim Pruett (background) and Peng Vang are CNC set up operators at Crane Resistoflex. They are programming the CNC machine.

CNC Set Up Operator Mike Wiggins is programming the CNC machine at Crane Resistoflex.




In 2001, the company moved its operations from a Michigan facility to here. And in 2006, Crane Resistoflex bought a small business in Charleston, W.Va. and brought it here too.

It is the world headquarters for the Resistoflex operations. The company had a facility in Pforzheim, Germany. But Crane Resistoflex is in the process of closing the German plant and moving part of that operation to Marion. Crane Resistoflex also has operations in China and Singapore.

Some of the key customers for Crane Resistoflex are DuPont, the Dow Chemical Co., ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, BASF, British Petroleum (BP), Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Bayer Material Science.

“They use our products to manufacture whatever chemical products they make,” said Hall.

Since moving to McDowell, Crane Resistoflex has contributed close to $1 million to the local community

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with donations to McDowell Technical Community College, the Accelerated Learning Center, Hospice of McDowell County, Pleasant Gardens Elementary, Pleasant Gardens Volunteer Fire Department and Southmountain Children’s Home, said company officials.

In 2011, the Resistoflex part of Crane Resistoflex celebrated 75 years of making quality products for its customers all over the world. Distributors, end users and employees alike took part in a big celebration that consisted of a dinner reception, a presentation by company executives and even fireworks.

“The strides that have been made as a result of our brand innovations have revolutionized the market for plastic-lined piping products and we are so pleased to have celebrated those 75 years of accomplishments with this event, not just for our customers, but also for our dedicated employees,” said Strom in 2011.




For more than 60 years, his top-quality ladder-back chairs and stools have been highly prized and much sought after by all those who appreciate fine mountain craftsmanship. And when you think about things that are made in McDowell, you naturally have to think about Max Woody.

“I like to take nothing and make something out of it,” said the famed chairmaker and musician.

By that statement, he was referring to making a footstool out of a rolling pin. “I thought it would make a nice conversation piece,” he said, adding he does not plan to sell it.

Over the years, he has become known for his handmade chairs and stools and his devotion to keeping this mountain craft going despite changing tastes and modern innovations. He has been featured on CBS’ “Early Show” and has been written about in The Washington Post and Southern Living magazine. He was also included in the Foxfire series of books about Appalachian culture. That is one of the things he is most proud of as he looks back over his many years of making chairs and music.

“I have been blessed with so many

doggone things,” said the 84-year-old.For the last 14 years, he has made

rocking chairs which have been raffled off to raise money for local charities. He has made these special chairs for such worthy causes as Relay for Life, Hospice of McDowell County and Habitat for Humanity. It is one of the many ways Max Woody gives back to the place he calls home.

Max is a native son of McDowell and his family of mountain crafters goes back here many years. He is a sixth-generation chairmaker. His great-grandfather Arthur was featured in the classic book about mountain culture “Cabin in the Laurel.” Both his great-grandfather and his great-great-grandfather Wyatt were well known for building wagons. And he had an ancestor, Uncle Bob Arrington, who was known for making caskets. Max has made a few of those too, including the one for his mother.

That is the way it was for many folks who lived in these mountains. “Back then, you couldn’t go to the

furniture store, you either built it, borrowed it or bartered for it,” he said.

His father Claude Woody had built bridges for the Clinchfield Railroad but was seriously crippled in a railroad accident. The family later moved to West Marion where his mother Fannie Arrington Woody got a job at the mill.

As a boy growing up here, young Max was inspired by his vocational teacher Richard Roberts to stay in school. And he gives credit to one of his teachers for making sure he graduated too. At the time, Max lacked only two subjects to graduate and his teacher Margaret Gourley Miller got the two books that he had failed previously to complete. He was assigned the extra work from those books, which he completed, and this was enough for him to graduate.

That teacher is still living in her 90s and Max said he still stays in contact with her. “She was instrumental in helping me finish high school,” he said. “A lot of good people helped me along.”

Max started using his father’s tools at quite a young age. “I was between

3 and 4 years old when I got into his toolbox,” he said.

Max Woody started working in earnest at age 15 when his father died. After graduating from high school, he got a job at the Drexel plant where he saved up $700, enough money to get a first-class set of tools, which he still uses. Although his father was gone, his grandfather Martin Woody showed him how to make chairs in the old-time way.

When the Korean War started, Max was drafted into the service and became a construction specialist building combat bridges for the military. Even there, he was making something.

He built his first shop on U.S. 221 North in his spare time. But in 1962, he opened his current shop at 3355 U.S. 70 West in Pleasant Gardens. It was the original location for the Harvest Drive-In. When it was the drive-in, carhops would roller skate on a concrete walkway that ran underneath the highway so they could serve customers who were parked on the other side of the road. And before that, the place was a hardware store and a gift shop.

Max Woody took over this building and made it world famous as the place where quality rocking chairs and stools were hand crafted. He’s made

Max Woody was taught how to make chairs by his grandfather Martin Woody. He is a sixth-generation chairmaker.



In his shop, Max Woody starts working on the backing for one of his prized rocking chairs. If you look carefully, you can see the wood shavings flying off as he works on the part.

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rockers for the Rev. Billy Graham and long-time state Secretary of Agriculture Jim Graham. Journalists and writers began to seek him out as an example of the best in mountain culture and craftsmanship.

He once had to make a gavel for a judge who found himself without one and needed it to hold court. A deputy was sent out to pick it up when it was ready. Another time, he has summoned to court so he could fix the judge’s chair. The broken chair was holding up court and had to be fixed right away.

“I have never been without work,” he said.

Max makes his chairs out of walnut, cherry, maple and oak. He uses chair styles which were mostly passed down through his family but some of the styles are his own. He has customers from all over the United States and some foreign countries. He’s got some orders that are four or five years old.

“I always like my customers to approve it before I ship it,” he said, adding he buys back his old chairs too.

Max builds chairs and stools but he said also he sometimes makes rolling pins for young girls who visit his shop. His sons Myron and Carey have worked him in the shop and are keeping the tradition going. His wife Pat and her business partner, Dixie Matthews, of Mountain Laurel Antiques & Collectibles weave the seat bottoms for all of the Woody chairs.

In addition, his cousin Scott Woody is operating a chair shop in Spruce Pine. This is the other Woody’s Chair Shop in western North Carolina.

Famed chairmaker Max Woody sits in one of his highly prized rocking chairs at his shop on U.S. 70 West.


“We have a good relationship with them,” he said. “We help each other.”

In addition to showing off his craft at his shop, Max Woody sometimes takes his tools to welcome centers and gives demonstrations to people visiting North Carolina. He has given workshops and demonstrations at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day, the Museum of Art in Atlanta, East Tennessee State University, Warren Wilson College, Wofford College and Mars Hill College.

He and artist Bob Timberlake are now featured in a special exhibit at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM).

He also enjoys making mountain music. A fiddler, Max Woody has taken part in mountain music programs in western North Carolina. Old Fort Mountain Music got its start when friends and fellow musicians would gather in his shop on U.S. 70 West. And he started another Friday night music program which is located in the building across the road from his chair shop.

“Both of them are going good,” he said.

Now at age 84, Max Woody is looking forward to returning to where he started on U.S. 221 North in Woodlawn. He is planning to move his operations back there.

“I am going back home,” he said. “I praise the Lord that He’s given me a good 84 years.”




Nestled in the eastern part of McDowell County is something that most people don’t associate with western North Carolina -- a vineyard and winery specializing in Bordeaux-style wines.

Since 2010, owners James and Mary Rowley have made the already existing vineyard their own, learning the ancient art of wine making and enjoying all that country life has to offer.

In the summer of 2010, the couple,who both worked corporate jobs before entering the wine-making business, decided to purchase property in North Carolina so that they could work and live in the state they had grown to love.

After finding South Creek for sale on the Internet, the two decided to have a look at the property. It was during their tour of the picturesque countryside and main house that they decided to dive in and start making wine.

“When we first came to look at the business we figured we were wasting the seller’s time,” said Mary. “We

couldn’t reasonably commute from our home in Mocksville to Nebo every day. However, when we drove down the driveway we saw this huge house and that kind of got us thinking that this was possible.”

By August the couple had purchased the winery that had been in operation since 2005, and that’s when their journey as winemakers truly began.

“A lot of people said that we were crazy buying a winery in the middle of

harvesting season,” said Mary. “We looked at it as an opportunity. The former owner, Frank Boldon, helped us during our first harvesting season and showed us the art of making the wines the business had become known for.”

South Creek is one of a very few dry wineries in the area, meaning that they only produce dry wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Maestro, along with several other types of dry white wines.

Each one of their wines is made in an old-fashioned French style that Mary says gives the wine a unique flavor.

The grapes are handpicked directly from the business’ vineyards and then hand pressed before being aged in oak barrels in the winery’s barrel room.

The laborious process may seem like a lot to go through to make wine, but quality is one thing the winery strives for.

“Our goal as a business is to make a great wine, be authentic with our

a toast!Nebo vineyard produces award-winning, french-style wine

Photos courtesy of South Creek Vineyards

Tours of the vineyard are offered throughout the year, as well as special events for the general public

James and Mary Rowley stand with a few of their award-winning vintages, inside the winery’s tasting room.

customers and treat them well,” said Mary. “We also try to hold events regularly that encourage people to visit the vineyards and sample some of the wines we’ve created.”

Locals aren’t the only ones who appreciate the vineyard’s wide selection of wines.

Since becoming owners of the business just three short years ago, Mary and James have seen international visitors sample their product and tour the place where it’s made, bottled and then sold.

“We’ve had customers from Sweden, Japan, and many other countries come through our vineyard and winery over the years,” said Mary. “Really, there is no specific age or type that comes to the winery. Some of our customers know a lot about wine, some don’t know anything. The only thing our customers have in common is that they’re looking for a relaxing and fun experience, which is what our business gives them through scenic views and wine tastings.”

In recent years, the business has been recognized for its outstanding product and has won several medals in local, regional and international competitions, like the Grand Cru



Employers in North Carolina expect to hire at a solid pace during the second quarterof 2013, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. From April to June,19% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 5% expect to

reduce their payrolls. Another 73% expect to maintain their current staff levels and 3%are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook* of 14%.

“Employers’ hiring expectations for the second quarter of 2013 are improving comparedto Quarter 1 2013 when the Net Employment Outlook was 9%,” said Manpower

spokesperson Michael Doyle. “Compared to one year ago when the Net EmploymentOutlook was 12%, employers are slightly more confident about their staffing plans.”

Pictured left to right:Miranda Lewis, Sherry Carroll, Tony Owens, Teresa Washburn, Tianah Moungey

Phone: 828-652-8865Apply on line at: www.manpowerjobs.com

competition held in California, where they received the 2010 Grand Cru Bronze Medal for their Cabernet Franc and 2010 Grand Cru Silver Medal for the Cabernet Franc Reserve.

Folks interested in visiting the vineyard can call 828-652-5729 to set up or tour, or stop by during regulars business hours Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1- 5 p.m.

More information about the business can be found on South Creek’s Facebook page or at the winery’s website, www.southcreekwinery.com.

The vineyard and winery have been a staple in the Nebo community for more than years now, with the Rowleys owning the vineyard for the last three years.

The business has been recognized at local, regional and international wine-tasting events for their product.

Oak barrels line South Creek’s barrel room, where each of their wines is aged to perfection.


Photos courtesy of South Creek Vineyards



Lace makers across the globe have more than likely heard of Nebo resident Richard Worthen. For the last 13 years, Worthen has been making wooden bobbins needed for the intricate art of lace making.

Worthen began creating the delicate lace-making gadgets while living near Salt Lake City, Utah, after a request from his son, who had a friend that was into the art.

“When my son was in college, he came home one weekend and asked if I could make bobbins, the things you make lace with,” stated Worthen. “I told him sure and started researching and making a few or them. The funny thing is he never asked about them again after that.”

After creating the tools and enjoying the process, Worthen visited a local lace-makers club to see if he had the right idea of what a bobbin was supposed to look like.

“I somehow learned that there was a group of lace makers in the Salt Lake area, where I lived at that time,” said Worthen. “They (the ladies in the lace makers group) said, ‘You’ve almost made lace bobbins.’ They trained me and told me what I needed to do to perfect them.”

After working with the group for a while, a woman who travels to different lace groups throughout the

United States asked Worthen if she could take his bobbins to different groups around the country and sell them.

From there, his work gained popularity and he began to visit different lace-making workshops around the country to sell his bobbins.

While demand for his work increased in the intimate and small circle of lace makers in the U.S., Worthen retired from his job outside of Salt Lake City and moved back to McDowell County, where his wife, Nora, is originally from.

It was during that time that he really embraced his retirement hobby — woodworking -- and began making bobbins, along with several other now popular items.

“I make all kinds of things, sewing accessories, knitting needles and scarf pens,” said Worthen while sitting in front of some of his latest creations.

a pieCe of LaCewoodworker creates lace-making necessity in retirement

“My main focus is on the bobbins, but I do enjoy the other things that I work on.”

There aren’t many bobbin makers in the U.S. so Worthen’s work is valued by the 6,000 or so lace makers in the country.

“There’s not many lace makers in the country, but there’s even fewer people that make bobbins,” Worthen stated. “I only know of maybe four or five bobbin makers, and we travel a lot to lace-making workshops where other bobbin makers are set up.”

Since lace making is not a high impact hobby, most people probably think that a lace maker can only need so many bobbins, but that’s not the case.

“Lace makers usually need a lot of bobbins, because some works can take more than 20 bobbins to complete,” said Worthen. “Plus, a lot of lace makers work on more than one project at a time, and you don’t want to switch out bobbins in the middle of a project. That’s just unheard of.”

Each bobbin takes Worthen about 15 minutes to create, but those that are limited edition, like the bobbin

Photo by Landdis Hollifield/McDowell News

An up close look at the carving process that goes into each bobbin.


Originally, Worthen wanted to turn larger items like bowls and pots, but after a few requests for bobbins and knitting needles the woodworker found a love for turning smaller, more detailed items.



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Worthen created to commemorate William and Kate’s royal wedding, has a lot of thought and time put into them.

“Since I started making bobbins I’ve made quite a few commemorative pieces for different groups or world events,” said Worthen while browsing through a mini-rack of his bedazzled bobbins. “This one honors the royal wedding, that one’s in remembrance of 9/11 and this one here is from the Olympics in Salt Lake City. It even has a charm on it that was sold during the games.”

Locally, Worthen makes and sales a wide variety of items he turns on his lathe, including some intricate sewing supplies.

“This is a seam ripper, and this matching box actually holds needs so that you can easily get them out as you need them,” said Nora, Worthen’s wife, while displaying her husband’s work.

To prepare for an upcoming lace-making workshop, Worthen is hard at work on a whole batch of bobbins that he hopes his customers will like.

“Each workshop that we go to is special in its own way,” stated Worthen. “I’ve met so many different ladies from around the world who have loved my bobbins. That alone makes the work worthwhile. I’ve met people from Russia, France and many other foreign countries who have come to a workshop to learn new techniques and pick up a few bobbins for their collection.”

The woodworker plans to continue his various projects and enjoy retirement here in the mountains.

Folks interested in Worthen’s work can find his products in MACA on Main Street in Marion.


Richard Worthen works on one of his intricate lace bobbins inside his Nebo workshop.




One local artist has taken an age-old technique and made it her own through the use of modern materials.

For more than 12 years, Nebo resident Cathy Green has been creating one-of-a kind silver jewelry pieces using a material called precious metal clay (PMC).

PMC suspends silver or gold particles in an organic substance that when fired burns away, leaving behind only the silver particles in the artist’s desired shape.

Green first got into the art during a workshop while living in Virginia.

“In college I was actually an art education major, and I’ve always been into the arts,” she said. “It was during one of the many workshops that I’ve taken during my life that I learned what PMC was and began working with it.”

Since then, the artist has taken additional workshops and even became PMC certified so that she can teach others how to work with the modern material.

“I love working with PMC because of the range it gives you,” Green said while looking at one of her most recent works. “With traditional silversmithing you have limits, but with PMC you can shape it into pretty much anything. When I work, I manipulate, shape and texturize

the PMC and then fire it, like you would any other ceramic material. Then I finish it using a wide variety of techniques.”

Over the last few years the artist has sold her works around the United States at various art festivals, in different shops in Wyoming and through the website ETSY, which allows artists to take their local works and sell them internationally.

“I’ve had pieces in the past for sale locally at MACA and at the Chamber of Commerce,” Green. “Just recently, I’ve signed a contract at Arrowhead Gallery and Studios, where I will have a studio so that folks can see me work and buy my one-of-a-kind pieces.”

The artist, whose signature piece is her bird pendants, hopes to continue working and improving her silver pieces.

“With my craft, there’s always new ways to add fresh life to a piece,” Green said. “Sometimes I’ll go out into nature and get different natural tools that can add an original texture to the pieces I’m working on. That’s what makes me love what I’m working with, Each piece can be as unique as something found in nature.”

Since the artist lives close to nature, inspiration is just a few steps outside her door.

“I love animals,” she said. “They definitely inspire my work, but nature as a whole inspires me. Really, everything I see out in the wild is

reflected in my work.”One of her more intricate pieces

actually takes the shape of something found right outside her door.

“One day I was walking and found this little twig,” said Green. “Once I looked it over, I knew what I wanted to do with it. I covered it in PMC, making sure to highlight every detail and then fired it. During the firing process the twig burnt away, but the shape of it remained. It took a lot of time, but the result is something that I couldn’t replicate if I tried.”

traditioNaL art witH a twistLocal jewelry artist creates pieces inspired by nature

The craftsman, who tries to work four or five days a week, hopes to continue to expand her line of rings, pendants, necklaces and other pieces of jewelry. She also hopes to integrate other metals into her work.

“Because the price of silver keeps going up, I’m going to try to start integrating more copper and bronze into my work to make it more affordable,” stated Green. “Not only will it make my work more affordable, but it’ll also add a new dimension to the pieces I create.”

Anyone interested in buying one of Green’s pieces or getting work specially commissioned can contact Green at [email protected] or visit her Etsy page at www.Cathgreenstudio.Etsy.com.

Green displays one of her most recent pieces of work inside of her home, which currently serves as her studio.

Cathy Green’s signature piece, the bird pendant, can be seen on a vast array of her necklaces. Each bird is individually decorated and unique.




A display of Green’s work sits in a corner of her home, where she takes photos of it to put on her Etsy account, which allows her to sale work across the United States and world.

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For Old Fort artist Susan Taylor basket weaving is more than an art -- it’s a way of life.

Taylor’s mother studied the ancient craft and was a basket maker. She passed that cherished tradition down to her daughter more than 10 years ago and ever since then, Taylor has been immersing herself in the rich history of the craft.

“When my mom moved to Florida she took several basket-making classes at a local community college,” Taylor said. “She taught all of her sisters how to make baskets, which was a big deal since she was one of 13 children. She kept asking me if I wanted to learn and I told her maybe later. Then, in 2003, she became ill and that’s when I started learning about basket making from her.”

The process wasn’t entirely foreign for Taylor since she had seen her mother make baskets for so many years, but once she got into it, she learned that there was a lot more to the art than just weaving different materials into a pattern.

“Basket making is probably one of the oldest art forms still around,” said Taylor. “People really don’t realize that ever since man has existed there has been some sort of basket weaving to accommodate the things that man needs to survive. Some of the earliest

baskets were made from different types of grasses and leaves to hold berries.”

Through her studies of the art, she’s acquired a taste for learning and looking at intricately designed baskets from all over the world.

“This book really highlights all that can be done with basket weaving,” Taylor stated while flipping through “500 Baskets.” “This one (basket) is actually made using fish bones and fishing line. And that one’s made using a mixture of reeds and other natural materials.”

Taylor’s works are well known around the area and some of her pieces have even traveled across state lines to new homes.

To keep her work fresh and to learn useful techniques, Taylor continually attends workshops on different weaving techniques and traditions.

“Over the last seven years, thanks to funding from the regional artist project grants, I’ve been able to attend different workshops exploring various basket-weaving methods,” said Taylor. “At one of those workshops I learned from one of the last Cherokee Indians who still practices basket making in the old style, Emma Garrett.”

Taylor’s works come in all sizes, big small, tall and short, with several options to consider.

“I enjoy creating the smaller baskets,” she said. “They’re just neater I think, but larger baskets have been my thing lately for some reason. I’ve made a lot of baskets over the last 10 years, each one I’ve catalogued and signed on the bottom, and each one has been different. That’s what I like about this art. There’s no one piece ever the same.”

To keep up with what’s going on in the basket-making community, Taylor tries to attend events where she can work alongside other craftsmen

basket Maker

weaves fruitful career

Each one of Susan Taylor’s baskets starts out with a solid bottom and progresses into a unique work of art.



Susan Taylor looks at one of her favorite designs, the cat’s head basket.

and sell some of her goods to those visiting the conventions.

“Each convention I’ve ever visited just promotes synergy,” said Taylor. “I look forward to each one I get to go to, because I always bring back a new technique or idea with me.”

Until her next convention, Taylor will be working in her studio creating unique, attractive and above all, functional baskets which she hopes her customers will enjoy.

“My goal is for people to get my baskets and really love them, not only for their beauty, but for their usefulness,” said Taylor. “I’ve never known anyone who dislikes baskets. I think deep down its ingrained in our


These river cane baskets use designs that Taylor has studied over the years.



Tables are scattered with a basket-maker’s tools.


DNA that we need them for survival since early man did need them to hold food and necessities.”

Folks interested in purchasing Taylor’s baskets or the other crafts she works on can do so by visiting MACA during regular business hours or at the Old Fort Arts Mart during the first Saturday of each month.


The artist’s workshop gives her a place close to her home where she can work on her designs.



From Staff Reports

Ethan Allen Global Operations Inc. is an international home furnishings company that manufactures and retails world-class home furnishings with worldwide operations. This includes the local Pine Valley Division of case goods manufacturing facility located in Old Fort.

While Ethan Allen’s roots date back to 1932 in Vermont, Ethan Allen’s expansion into Old Fort began in 1959 when a partnership agreement was entered into with the Morgan Manufacturing Co. and a plant in upper Old Fort known as Old Fort Manufacturing Co., which produced cherry and maple television cabinets and bedroom furniture. The name was later changed to Pine Valley Division of Ethan Allen in 1963.

In 1970, operations expanded to another division built just east of Old Fort along U.S. 70. In 1983, the two plants merged to the new location and current operations remain there today.

Today’s operations include six domestic manufacturing facilities, two overseas sites, as well as 300 Ethan

Allen retail stores/design centers overseen by Company President and CEO Farooq Kathwari, in the United States and around the world in Canada, Japan, Korea, Thailand, China, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Belgium.

The current site in Old Fort spans some 45 acres with 10 of those under one roof and housing over 555,000 square feet of floor space. Some 230 custom order case goods furniture items are manufactured in Appalachian Region grown cherry, maple as well as mahogany wood species. Each unit is made specifically to the customer’s specification and finish selection, with their name on the bar code.

Finishing is done in 40 different water-based and conventional finishes, while 415 associates produce home furnishings of the highest standards. The facility also houses a Distribution Division whose

worLd-CLass HoMe furNisHiNgsethan allen a tradition in old fort

Photo courtesy of Ethan Allen

The Pine Valley Division of Ethan Allen’s roots in Old Fort date back to 1959. Today, 415 associates produce home furnishings of the highest standards.

responsibilities include scheduling, tractor/trailer maintenance and transportation of finished product.

The facility was recognized for its environmental efforts by becoming EFEC (Enhancing Furniture Environmental Culture) certified in March of 2012 and is currently in the process of obtaining Sustainable By Design and ECO Home 3 certification for ongoing and additional environmental initiatives as well.


Associate Steve Rhinehart mould sands a door.


Inspector Denice Burleson gives the final OK before packaging and shipping.


Associates Ray Nelon and Steve Justice case fit drawers on a sample unit.

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