“Rob cares deeply about and has always been a strong advocate for education, especially technical education, because he understands the importance of these skills to our workforce,” Abbott said.

 

Inman Mills was founded by the Chapman family in 1902 and family leaders have faced many challenges over the last century plus, Abbott said.

 

“But with all due respect to the strong past leaders, none has encountered the same challenges as Rob has in order to keep Inman Mills a going concern and a strong, viable entity in the volatile textile industry,” Abbott said.

 

Abbott noted that the lingering effects of the Asian financial crisis and China’s entry into the WTO, then the end of quotas and more ill-advised trade bills, along with retailers’ continued demands for the cheapest products, all hit the industry hard during Chapman’s 11-year tenure as chairman, CEO and treasurer. Each of these matters were related to the move to globalization and left plenty of contraction, downsizing, layoffs and plant closures in their wake. Those were tough times for our industry, and Inman Mills was not exempt, he added.

 

“For many of us, it was a matter of survival,” Abbott said. “Yet, we made it through those times of struggle, thanks in large part to Rob’s vision, perseverance and steadfastness. Rob’s leadership, combined with a great staff and a loyal workforce, helped us regain our footing and turn the corner.”

 

What made the difference, Abbot said, was trust.

 

“Trust that was built, nourished and fortified, and Rob was the impetus behind that trust,” he said. “He knew it was absolutely vital in order for Inman to get through those tough times. He knew employees needed to trust him and the direction Inman Mills was heading – and he needed to trust employees. And he actively helped build that trust, even as he realized tough decisions would have to be made.

 

“He gave his employees the opportunity and the leeway to fail as we tried new products, new operations and new processes,” he said. “He was regularly on the plant floor, addressing team members by their first names and reassuring them that we could do whatever was necessary to get through this period. Despite many sleepless nights, Rob trusted that things would improve, and, because of his positive attitude, encouraging words and insights, we trusted his judgment.”

 

Inman survived that bumpy ride and, as many in the industry, are still on a journey of uncertainty, Abbott said. But having endured those challenges, employees now carry with them a trustful spirit, a sense of togetherness and a certain confidence in knowing they can get through any challenge thrown at them, he added.

 

“And Rob is the reason for this,” Abbott said.

 

Chapman accepts award on behalf of employees

In accepting the award, Chapman thanked Abbott for his kind words and said he was honored to follow in the footsteps of the three Chapmans  for which this award was named.

 

“But this award really is for the 650 people who work for Inman Mills, and five of them are in this room” he said, recognizing Plant Managers Kemp Smith, Brad Burnett and Ken Massey, along with Abbott and Purchasing Vice President Bill Bowen. “The company, as George said, has gone through some trials and tribulations. But we made it through it, just like all of you in this room have.”

 

Inman Mills is a different kind of company that it was 12 years ago or even seven years ago, Chapman said.

 

“We’re doing things today that are exciting and fun, and we love coming to work,” he said. “Look at George. His positive attitude drives all of us. And when we’re in meetings, no one says we can’t do something. By golly we’re going to try to do it. We’re going to try to figure out how to make it work.”

 

Chapman added that “manufacturing has been in my blood forever,” and said his employees feel just as passionate about their industry.

 

“We try to keep our 650 people as busy as they can be, and active and happy and constantly thinking about how we can get better,” he said. “We’re innovative. We’re thinking about new products all the time. Some of the things we’re doing today, I can’t even talk about. The ones who came before me wouldn’t believe what we’re doing today, just like you in your companies. We have to be different than we were 10 or 15 years ago.”

 

The business world in general and manufacturing in particular, Chapman added, are not without their issues. One of those is an aging workforce, he said.

 

“That’s something we talk about constantly,” he said. “It’s scary to look at the demographics and the number of people who have been there 10, 20, 30 or 40 years who are going to be retiring. And you don’t replace that overnight. So the challenge is how do we attract younger folks to our companies? I don’t think it’s just in our industry. I think it’s across our state and across our country. We need to bring these younger folks into our companies to make them realize we have good jobs, good working environments, good benefits.

 

“So we’re constantly thinking about how to get into these schools, whether it’s high schools, tech schools, vocational schools, etc.”

 

With that aging workforce, wellness is another huge issue that is exacerbated by rising healthcare costs, he added. Inman has responded by implementing a number of wellness activities to help combat health issues that often come with aging, he said.

 

“One other thing that we deal with that frustrates me is when I run into people, probably as you do, who say, ‘your company is still running?’ ” he said. “We’ve been here almost 114 years, so the message is, what are we not doing right? What are we not communicating in the community to let people know we’re still here?”

 

Chapman closed by saying, “I’m honored to receive this wonderful award on behalf of the 650 people I work with at Inman Mills.”