Textile Industry Appreciation - Greenwood, SC - Non-Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

Long Description:
Just a few steps from waymark WMHPVF "World War Monument", you will find another monument which thanks a group of people who have all but vanished in the Greenwood, SC, area. Textile Workers

We always thank our veterans, but during times of war there is so much that goes on "back home" that is never recognized. There was a time when Greenwood was a major player in the textile industry.

“Greenwood Cotton Mills weathered the Great Depression of the 1930s by relying upon its previously built-up financial base. By 1935 the company was operating three shifts per day, and Self was able to purchase all of Greenwood's stock, thereby becoming its sole owner. Two years later, the Mathews plant was expanded. Within a short time it developed into the leading producer of fabrics made from spun rayon. All these developments combined to prepare the company for the demands of World War II.”

“Although the company had been highly successful before the Second World War, the war added to Greenwood's prominence within the textile industry. Contracted by the U.S. Army to produce special poplin cloth for the armed services, the Mathews mill was the sole operation in the entire country that successfully met the Army's strict specifications. During the course of World War II, the Mathews mill and the Ninety-Six mill produced over 100 million yards of cloth for the armed services, more than any other company within the American textile industry. By the end of the war, Greenwood Cotton Mills had received four awards from the Army for the high quality of its cloth. “

“During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company began to experience what every textile manufacturer feared most--increased competition from foreign countries. Textile manufacturers and clothing companies located in the Pacific Rim and South America were able to pay low wages to employees and make minimal capital investments. They were thus increasingly able to undersell American and European companies. As the market share for Greenwood Mills, along with many other firms, started to erode, the company fought back by cutting its prices and reducing its overhead. These measures, however, were not enough to remain competitive.”

“As a result of the increasing competition from foreign textile companies, in 1993 management at Greenwood Mills decided to build a clothing facility overseas. The strategy was to take advantage of the lower cost in wages and the generally less expensive operating overhead available overseas. The company arranged a low cost loan of $77 million through the International Finance Corporation, and made plans to construct a denim plant in Pakistan. Before the deal could even be formalized, however, intense criticism from American textile manufacturers and clothing companies rained down on Greenwood Mills. Chief executive officers and presidents of such companies as Akrwright Mills, Cheraw Yarn Mills, and Parkdale Mills vigorously objected to Greenwood's plan by pointing out that it would divert jobs overseas and hurt the domestic textile industry. At the same time, the decision made by Greenwood management was supported by the U.S. Department of State. Government officials maintained that the project was more beneficial than harmful because it was in agreement with American foreign policy efforts to lessen the dependence of developing countries on U.S. aid by encouraging the construction of more indigenous-based industries. With the backing of the federal government, Greenwood Mills adhered to its original plan of constructing a new plant in Pakistan.”

Source: DEADLINKhttp://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/greenwood-mills-inc-history/

Type of Memorial: Non-Specific Memorial In Honor Of: Management and Workers of the Textile Industry Marker Text: Not Until Each Loom Is Silent And The Shuttles Cease To Fly Will God Unroll The Pattern And Explain The Reason Why... The Dark Threads Are As Needful In The Weaver's Skillful Hand As The Threads of Gold And Silver... For The Pattern Which He Planned. In Dedication To The Management And Workers Of The Textile Industry Whose Sacrafices Helped To Achieve The Goals Of Our Armed Forces In Past Wars. Erected By Veterans Of Foriegn Wars And Ladies Auxiliary Greenwood Post 813. September 7, 1987. Date of dedication: September 7, 1987 Who Put it Here?: Veterans Of Foreign Wars And Ladies Auxiliary Greenwood Post 813 Description of Memorial: This marker has quite a bit of detail to it. Graphics include a shuttle cock and a weaving machine etched into the stone. Wars mentioned (Multi-war only): Not listed

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