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| August 1, 1996
Business & Industry
THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD
Page 9A
No matter where you go,
Kings Plush goes with you
- The next trip you take on a
major airline or bus look at the
upholstery and carpets.
Chances are it came from
STI/Kings Plush in Kings
Mountain.
Wayne King, president; Jim
Brown, vice president and gen-
eral manager; Mark Hovis, vice-
president of manufacturing,
and Joe Brinkmeyer, director of
sales and marketing, have wit-
nessed the transformation of
the former K Mills on Marie
Street from a manufacturer of
residential velvet fabrics to a
manufacturer of highly special-
ized transportation interior fab-
rids.
It all started in 1989 with
Jagquard and dobby looms al-
ready in place and a workforce
eager to produce a demanding
quality, highly specified uphol-
stery fabric to meet the de-
mands of the transportation
market.
STI is one of the most grow-
ing industries in Kings
Mountain because of the new
direction that meant continued
success in the bus and coach
textile industry, according to
King.
With 100,000 square feet of
manufacturing space and a
three shift operation of dedicat-
ed and versatile employees,
Brown says orders from new
coach builders as well as
Greyhound have increased.
King said in 1989 an unprof-
itable velvet supplier to the fur-
niture trade called Kings Plush
changed its name to Specialty
Textile Interiors and went after
the transportation fabric busi-
ness. In 1993, he asked Sean and
Bill Gibbons, who were part of
a residential upholstery rep
firm called Gaston, to take STI
back into the residential furni-
ture trade but in a more prof-
itable way and they did.
King now reports that sales
have almost tripled, with 1996
figures projected to top $10 mil-
lion.-He said Gaston's“ 30-year
history in the'residential uphol-
stery business opened doors
and lent STI instant credibility
when approaching furniture
manufacturers in a very com-
petitive market.
But King says a team effort
by management and employees
over the years have produced
results.
"Our assets are the people
who put their shoulders to it on
the plant floor," he said.
Manufacturers also highlight
the company's effectiveness in
working on custom designs and
exclusive requests, says Brown.
One of the company's biggest
advantages, noted Gibbons, is
its background in styling and
marketing.
"We can react to things quick-
ly because of our CAD system
and our looms. And I am so in-
timately involved in the design
process I know exactly what's
possible so it's easy for us to
tweak designs to meet our cus-
tomers expectations."
The local plant had its roots
in Kings Mountain in 1964 as K
Mill with Joe Kakassy as
president. Hickory Springs op-
erated the plant for five years
from 1980-85 and Kings Plush
came on line in 1985. STI has 87
employees, many of them from
second and third generation
Kings Mountain families. The
diversified operation makes
fabric and carpet for planes and
trains and fabrics for cruise
ships and for heavy over-the-
road trucks. It also is big in a
new residential furniture fabric
line.
Fabric from the local plant
was used in the refurbishing of
two theaters in New York City
and the company has markets
Coury Tine Usa
Open Every
Friday & Saturday 7:30-11:00 pm
Featuring
Pat Wright and the Country Time Band
* Admission: $3.00 per person
Nonalcoholic Family Atmosphere
We feature all types of music & dancing,
some new, some old, but all for your
enjoyment
The best place around today is
: Country Time USA
Located on Hwy. 221 in the old Sky City Shopping Cente,
ined o: fo i indoor flea market in Spartanburg, SC.
a.
ERT SEE EA AS
CorpeLL Scott, II, D.M.D.
GENERAL DENTISTRY
106 N. MoUNTAIN STREET, CHERRYVILLE, NC 28021
TELEPHONE: 435-9696
Dedicated to Excellence
Now accepting new Exam Patients
Office Hours by Appointment
LV. sedation available for apprehensive patients
Insurance processed
Crown & Bridge
| Mastercard / Visa
Dentures
808 W. King Street
Kings Mountain, NC
We Offer:
Complete Eye Exams
*School and Industrial Screenings
Most Major Brands Contact Lens
*Glaucoma and Cataract Testing
6
Office Hours:
Tuesday-Friday
8:15 am ‘til 6:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am ‘til 12:00 pm
Closed Sunday &
Monday
739-5581
STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT - Rick Hahn, left, and STI President Wayne King are pictured
at a sectional warper, new state of the art digital controlled equipment at STI/Kings Plush.
tll
in both North and South
America and exports its motor
coach fabrics to New Zealand.
When its furniture line was
introduced in 1994 STI merged
with Kings Plush Inc.
"The plant has undergone a
real struggle over the years to
survive but because of a flexi-
ble work force and cross train-
ing of employees we have
stayed on top of it," said King,
who commutes everyday from
his home in Concord. King said
that 70 percent of the plant has
been refurbished with new state
of the art equipment.
Most of the workers have
been with the plant for many
years and are Kings Mountain
natives. David Oliver, manager
of the weaving operation, is a
10 year employee. Jerry K.
Jenkins, manager of dyeing and
finishing, and Rick Hovis, di-
rector of manufacturing, are
long term employees. King,
who worked with Walsh previ-
ously and became a full time
employee in 1989, Brown and
Hovis formed a corporation in
See Kings Plush, 10-A
BUSY LOOMS - Ralph McDonald, left, and David Oliver work
at the looms at STI/Kings Plush on Marie Street.
NO MONEY D
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This sale supercedesall others and is for a limited time. Sale prices after factory
incentive and/or discount. 36 month closed-end leases require 1st payment,
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Additional miles available, B2300 payment based on 30% down, 72 months @
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qualified buyers. Tax & tags extra. Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 7:30pm, Saturday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
DESIGN COMPUTER - Charlotte Harbison, seated, and John Kay work at a design computer at
STI/Kings Plush.
KiRK D. WILLIAMS, M.D.
proudly announces the association of
ROBERT E. HARLEY, M.D.
in the practice of
Ear, Nose, and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery
now known as
Southern Piedmont Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates
Areas of special interest include:
* Facial Plastics * Snoring
* Sinus and Nasal Disorders Allergy
* Hearing Evaluation/Hearing Aid Dispensing
e Pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders
Early appointments available in Kings Mountain at 739-3601
Free Consultations for Snoring
106 Edgemont Drive * Kings Mountain, NC
& SPORT
COATS
Plonk Brothers
218 Railroad Ave. Downtown Kings Mountain ¢ 739-3631
Open Mon.-Fri. 9 to 6 + Sat. 9 to 5:30 * Closed Sunday