Newspapers / The Pilot (Southern Pines, … / April 30, 1964, edition 1 / Page 21
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T'UTTTiOT^ A THURSDAY, APRIL 30. 1964 THE PILOT—Southern Pines, North Carolina Page TWENTY-ONE %%♦ ^'5'' s 'fHk S # jf * » -|!, t -* .V* rifii pr^ciuction area entrances at far right. The A MODERN FACADE— This side of the new Smithson of Southern Pines plant on No. 1 building, with 10,000 square feet of area, is highway north is about all that can be seen of constructed to permit future expansion. About the new building from the highway which 60 persons are now employed there, working lies below a steep bank beyond the office and on two shifts. (Pilot photo) SKILLED WORK WITH FURNITURE FABRICS New Smithson Plant Employs 60 A business that started opera tion here in June, 1957, with four employees, this month moved into a new plant off No. 1 high way parkway, north, with about 60 persons working on two shifts —and em-ployment is not yet up to capacity. Smithson of Southern Pines, Inc., is one of five widely scatter ed businesses owned and opera ted by Lee K. Smithson, an ener getic former World War II pilot who flew B-29 bombers in the Pacific and went into specialized branches of the textile business almost as soon as he shucked his Air Force uniform after the war. Typically, as soon as Mr. Smithson got his new plant here workir^g smoothly this m.onth, he launched another project. Accom panied by his wife, Mrs. Marie Smithson, he was in West Ger many this week investigating possibility of opening a business there. The German 'furniture trade, it seems, has been largely unaware of upholstery fabrics as handsome and as strikingly pro cessed as those turned out by the local plant and other Smithson establishments serving furniture makers in the United States. Other Plants Two other Smithson businesses bear the “Smithson of Southern Pines” name—one in High Point, situated even closer than the local plant to the North Carolina furniture manufacturers who buy most of the production; and one in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which m.ainly does custom work for in terior decorators—draperies, bed spreads and so forth. The largest plant—known sim ply as Smithson, Inc., and the oldest of the group—is at Stover, Mo. Also in Missouri—the state from which Mr. Smithson launch ed his venture into North Caro lina some seven years ago—is Southern Fabric Division, Inc., a company dealing particularly in fabrics. Techniques Listed All of the following processes, as found in the furniture uphol stery side of the business, are car ried on here. They are: —Printing patterns on fabric by the silk-screen process, with piece goods rolled out on a table 50 yards long. —Outline quilting, done by women operators of hea-vy-duty sewing machines, in which the material, backed with foam or cot ton padding, is stitched to the backing, the stitches following lines in the intricate, colorful pat terns, creating a raised, quilted Free Phone Calls Offered By Blue To Boost Campaign During the month of May, the public is invited to call up friends and relatives over the State via long distance from Cliff Blue’s campaign headquarters at Aber deen—putting in a plug of course, for Blue for lieutenant governor. Cliff Blue’s committee has leas ed a private telephone line for the 30 days of May for a flat sum. Any number of calls can be with in the State at no extra cost. Cards are being sent to a good many people in the county invi ting them to come and use this line for friendly calls and to pro mote Blue’s candidacy, but any one can use the service. Calls may be made any time from 8 a. m. to 9 p. m., and some one will be on duty at the office to assist in placing calls. Forrest Lockey is office manager and Mrs. W. T. Wooten is chairman of the “telephone campaign,” with Tommy Gschwind, Wade Rey nolds and Sonny Guion on the lo cal committee. EXAMINING FABRIC— Lee K. Smithson, president of Smith- son of Southern Pines, Inc., and Mrs. W. B. Singletary of Aber deen, plant manager, discuss fabric displayed on the 50-yard's- long printing table in the new Smithson plant on No. 1 High way Parkway, north. Fabric of this type is quilted on a foam backing by skilled machine operators at the plant, largely for furniture manufacturers. (Pilot photo) F- design when completed. —^Creweling, also done by ma chine—a kind of embroidery with wool yarn on a printed pattern. ^Trapunto work—an Italian style of quilting, involving two steps: sewing around the outlines of a design, with two pieces of materal back to back; and blow ing yarn into these design “pock ets” by com.pressed air through a hollow needle, so that the yarn puffs out elements of the design, again to form a different quilted effect. Looks Easy Some of the fabrics used in the local plant are designed and printed here and others, designed elsewhere, are brought here for processing, by a Smithson truck, from furniture manufacturers. As an observer watches the Give flowers . .. the sure-io-please gift the whole family enjoys. lA We wire flowers anywhere. Southern Pines Florist, Inc. 150 W. Now York Ave. Ph. 692-3111 PILOT ADVERTISING PAYS women machine operators at the local plant, these procedures look easy, so skilfully do they zip through the techniques. But it takes about six months to train an operator, Mr. Smithson said. And all the operators in the new plant have been trained by the company here. The firm has been in two other locations. It opened m the base ment of the Pinedene building now occupied by a restaurant and farm machinery business. It mov ed from there to a location out Linden Road, near Pinehurst, growing right along. The new location is expected : o be permanent. The building is planned for the operation carried on there, with 10,000 square feet of floor space and a design that permits expansion which is defin itely expected to come, sooner or later. In addition to the large pro duction area, there is office space and an employee lounge with vending machines, a coffee maker and tables and benches for em ployees’ use during the lunch hour, as many of them bring their lunches to the plant. Other Personnel Mrs. W. B. Singletary of Aber deen ia plant manager. Norman Black of Southern Pines is sales manager and Hollis Thompson of Southern Pines is office mana ger. Miss Juanita Pitts of Southern Pines is a textile designer for the company, working at her home here. Also serving the company as designer is Miss Midge Ed wards of Tryon. Mr. Smithson di rectly supervises the designing work and takes a specal interest in this phase of the business. Mr. and Mrs. Smithson, who live on Midland Road in Knoll- wood, have five children: Mich ael, 20, and Kenneth, 18, who are students at Belmont Abbey Col lege, and Terry Marie, 17, Sandra, 15, and Patrick, 12, all in school here. The Smithsons are members of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church and Mr. Smithson is a member of the Advisory Council of St. Jo seph of the Pines Hospital, Sew up BIG SAVINGS from our wide variety of beautiful FABRICS You’ll find here a wonderful selec tion of materials for re-decorating your home and for summer and vacation wear. Im . I FOR INSPECTION, CALL Authorized Dealer SOUTHERN PINES WAREHOUSES. INC. OX 2-7131 TERMINIX’ f6tf mi • DRAPERIES ... 39c yd. and up • DENIM, Arnel and Cotton, 44-in. 98c yd. • CRUISE WEAR • 100 SKIRT LENGTHS at $1.39 each NICE SELECTION OF SUMMER GOODS / ki Complete line of NOTIONS DRAPERIES Custom Made AUTHORIZED SINGER SEWING MACHINE DEALER WHITE FABRICS OF ALL KINDS FOR LOVELY GRADUATION DRESSES m MILL OUTLET STORE 650 S. W. Broad St. Southern Pines . Phone 695-3291 Colonial Furniture Co. S. W. Broad Street Southern Pines, N. C. I ALL FURNITURE MUST BE SOLD CASH and CARRY (We Will Deliver For Slight Extra Charge) Your Chance In A Lifetime For Modern First Class Furniture Savings From This Large Stock ALL AT COST OR BELOW Colonial Furniture Co. S.W. Broad St. Southern Pines, N. C. Phone 692-6895
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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April 30, 1964, edition 1
21
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