Posted November 12, 2014

 

When Greenwood Mills President Jay Self asked me in January to update the company’s history book, The Character of Quality, I was humbled and honored. And a little overwhelmed – not so much by the research or interviews that would be needed for the project, but by the challenge of writing a forthright portrayal of the company’s last 25-year history. Having covered the textile industry for much of that period, I was well aware that Greenwood Mills – nay, the entire U.S. textile industrial complex – had undergone a massive transformation during that quarter century and was a mere shadow of its previous, prodigious self. Telling its story would not be easy, I knew. Plant closings, consolidations, layoffs, restructurings, et al., were a dominant theme for the company and the industry, brought on mostly by global trade and the offshore movement. (Read the updated book here.)

 

At the same time, I knew the Greenwood, S.C. firm was among the survivors for a reason. Reading the last updated version of The Character of Quality and poring through the company’s history, I quickly realized its reason for continuing to be a going concern in the turbulent textile industry. Or, make that reasons. A proud heritage, for one – although that alone does not guarantee a promising future. A will to survive, for another. In the period leading up to potential bankruptcy in 2001-02, company leaders made the tough, but necessary, decisions that would help ensure it would live to fight another day. That will to survive also entailed shifting its focus to products it strongly believed it could sell and lead to profitability.

 

But the biggest reason the company endured, probably, was its unwavering focus on quality – a theme with deep roots in Greenwood’s history. And that quality encompasses not only its products, but also its people and the way it conducts business, through honesty and fairness. Even during what may be considered Greenwood’s dark days around the turn of the last century, the company never forgot the words of wisdom of James C. Self Sr., past company president and son of Greenwood founder James Cuthbert Self: “Start with the best cotton you can buy, the finest machinery made and the best people there are to operate this equipment. This gives you a quality product for which there is always a market. And, of course, the people are more important than anything else.”

 

Indeed, even during periods of decline over the last 25 years, the company was always in modernization mode – and still is. It has spent millions of dollars on the latest capital equipment in order to ensure its products are top-notch, a big differentiator in a competitive industry. It continues to employ skilled operators. And a Character of Quality program it implemented in the late 1980s still exists and continues to serve as the company’s guiding principle and mission.

 

While the first 100 years of Greenwood Mills were marked by change and turbulent periods, the company’s trajectory was mostly upward. Despite facing some consolidation in the 1980s, it still counted itself among the largest textile companies in the country when it celebrated its centennial in 1989. Today, after a 25-year period that saw it meet and overcome some of its most daunting challenges, that distinction no longer holds true. But its stature and significance are not measured in size or output. It remains an important, distinguished player in this industry because of its adaptability and flexibility, its management team, its strong employee base, its resolute focus on the customer, its relentless pursuit of excellence and, again, its steadfast commitment to quality.

 

And here Greenwood Mills is, 125 years old – and going strong. With a leaner operation of only one domestic plant and an apparel division (SingleSource) that manufactures in Mexico, the company has found its footing over the last eight or so years and has figured out how to survive the world of globalization and a tumultuously shifting business environment. With a movement to bring some manufacturing back to the U.S. and this hemisphere, the outlook is bright for Greenwood Mills.

 

Also, as part of the anniversary project, I was asked to produce a slide show chronicling the company’s history photographically. That was another huge undertaking, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. The final product was shown during the company’s 125-year anniversary celebration in Greenwood on October 7. If you’d like to check it out, it’s posted on the Greenwood Mills page this week.

 

Congratulations, Greenwood Mills, on reaching such an historic milestone. You are our well-deserved 2014 Industry Champion.