Oct 1, 2006
Stanley Furniture Company
In 1924, a young man named Thomas Bahnson Stanley realized a long-held dream when he founded Stanley Furniture Company. Today, Stanley Furniture is one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the United States, and the largest employer in Martinsville-Henry County. The company's manufacturing facilities boast more than 3.2 million square feet, located in Stanleytown and Martinsville, Virginia, as well as Robbinsville and Lexington, North Carolina. Combine that with Stanley's eleven Pinnacle Awards for design excellence, and it's easy to see why business works in Martinsville-Henry County.
Bassett Furniture Industries
For more than 100 years, Bassett Furniture has called Martinsville-Henry County home. The furniture company first began as a sawmill on the Bassett family farm in the late 1800s - making railroad ties for the new Norfolk & Western line. More than a century later, Bassett Furniture boasts annual sales of over $300 million, 135 retail stores nationwide, and employs more than 700 people locally. Last year, Bassett launched a John Elway Home Entertainment Collection and its products have been featured on ESPN networks. It's easy to see why business works in Martinsville-Henry County.
American of Martinsville
American of Martinsville is one of the world's leading suppliers of furniture to the lodging and senior living industries. Its furnishings can be found in hotels and assisted living facilities around the world. AOM dates back to 1906, when a group of local tobacco manufacturers started the company to diversify their own business. AOM has grown substantially since then, surpassing $100 million in sales in 1989. Today, AOM's manufacturing facility covers approximately 1 million square feel and the company currently employs more than 800 people locally. It's easy to see why business works in Martinsville-Henry County.
Hooker Furniture Corporation
Hooker Furniture has called Martinsville-Henry County home for more than 80 years. In 1925, four-year-old Clyde Hooker, Jr. pulled the cord on the steam whistle that signaled the first work day at Hooker Furniture. As an adult, he went on to run the company until 2000, when Paul B. Toms, Jr., grandson of the company's founder, took charge - making Hooker one of the few furniture firms still led by a founding family member. Today, Hooker is one of the nation's leading furniture companies. With annual sales over $300 million, more than 700 local employees, and a 580,000 square foot central distribution center, it's easy to see why business works here.
