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<p>[QUOTE="SBSVC, post: 366473, member: 136"]Hi, BloodyAwful, and welcome!</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's an interesting article from 1935 about the woods Williams Furniture used at that point:</p><p><a href="https://dspace.ychistory.org/bitstream/handle/11030/71616/00000351.pdf?sequence=1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://dspace.ychistory.org/bitstream/handle/11030/71616/00000351.pdf?sequence=1" rel="nofollow">https://dspace.ychistory.org/bitstream/handle/11030/71616/00000351.pdf?sequence=1</a></p><p><br /></p><p>And here's a bit of info about the company, most of it from:</p><p><a href="http://www.singletonfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I252686&tree=1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.singletonfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I252686&tree=1" rel="nofollow">http://www.singletonfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I252686&tree=1</a></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Oliver Lafayette Williams came to Sumter SC in 1919 and started the O. L. Williams Veneer Company, a one story, inexpensive building measuring 200 feet by 800 feet located on East Calhoun Street. Williams had amassed many years of experience in a number of businesses. When he arrived in Sumter he was approached by a group of supporters requesting that he lead them in establishing a chair and furniture factory</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>The need for lumber to supply his veneer plant led Williams to Sumter, which had become well known for its large tracts of poplar timber, judged by many to be some of the highest grade trees of their kind in the Southeast. It was here that Williams built his veneer company and soon after expanded his holdings by incorporating several additional businesses, including the Sumter Veneer Company, the Veneer Manufacturing Company located in Conway and the O.L. Williams Veneer Company in Montgomery, Ala.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>In 1925 Williams organized the Williams Top and Panel Company, and later, the Williams Furniture Corp</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>...Williams Furniture, like most businesses, suffered during the Depression years but managed to survive even as many of its competitors began to close their doors. The plan was to produce cheaper solid wood products and cut employee wages to "distressingly low levels" rather than laying them off. Williams salesmen became very effective in negotiating lower prices from their suppliers. The factory closed for only two weeks during the years 1930-1933, a remarkable business feat during one of our country's most trying economic periods. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>In 1934 Williams received an economic windfall in the form of a contract with Gimbel's Department Store to produce a collection to compete with a similar line of furniture being produced by Macy's, Gimbel's principal competitor. This newly designed collection of furniture proved a great success and gave the corporation a much needed economic stimulus.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>A new conveyor system was installed, designed to help speed production. At the same time Marie Kilpatrick, who had designed the Macy's line, was given the responsibility of creating the first "authentic Williams Furniture Line" in 1935. As a result of these new additions the Williams Company was experiencing unprecedented growth and success </i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>...March 31, 1936, a fire began near the front of the plant ...The fire destroyed almost the entire plant except for several of the dry kilns located at the rear of the facility. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>O. L. Williams made the announcement that the company would start the rebuilding process almost immediately. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>...In 1967 the Williams Corporation merged with and became a part of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation. The merger with Georgia-Pacific in 1967 brought an end to the largest and most productive enterprise in the history of the Sumter community</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>...In 1983, Georgia Pacific announced its intention to sell its ailing Williams Furniture Division </i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="SBSVC, post: 366473, member: 136"]Hi, BloodyAwful, and welcome! Here's an interesting article from 1935 about the woods Williams Furniture used at that point: [URL]https://dspace.ychistory.org/bitstream/handle/11030/71616/00000351.pdf?sequence=1[/URL] And here's a bit of info about the company, most of it from: [URL]http://www.singletonfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I252686&tree=1[/URL] [I]Oliver Lafayette Williams came to Sumter SC in 1919 and started the O. L. Williams Veneer Company, a one story, inexpensive building measuring 200 feet by 800 feet located on East Calhoun Street. Williams had amassed many years of experience in a number of businesses. When he arrived in Sumter he was approached by a group of supporters requesting that he lead them in establishing a chair and furniture factory[/I] [I]The need for lumber to supply his veneer plant led Williams to Sumter, which had become well known for its large tracts of poplar timber, judged by many to be some of the highest grade trees of their kind in the Southeast. It was here that Williams built his veneer company and soon after expanded his holdings by incorporating several additional businesses, including the Sumter Veneer Company, the Veneer Manufacturing Company located in Conway and the O.L. Williams Veneer Company in Montgomery, Ala.[/I] [I]In 1925 Williams organized the Williams Top and Panel Company, and later, the Williams Furniture Corp[/I] [I]...Williams Furniture, like most businesses, suffered during the Depression years but managed to survive even as many of its competitors began to close their doors. The plan was to produce cheaper solid wood products and cut employee wages to "distressingly low levels" rather than laying them off. Williams salesmen became very effective in negotiating lower prices from their suppliers. The factory closed for only two weeks during the years 1930-1933, a remarkable business feat during one of our country's most trying economic periods. [/I] [I]In 1934 Williams received an economic windfall in the form of a contract with Gimbel's Department Store to produce a collection to compete with a similar line of furniture being produced by Macy's, Gimbel's principal competitor. This newly designed collection of furniture proved a great success and gave the corporation a much needed economic stimulus.[/I] [I]A new conveyor system was installed, designed to help speed production. At the same time Marie Kilpatrick, who had designed the Macy's line, was given the responsibility of creating the first "authentic Williams Furniture Line" in 1935. As a result of these new additions the Williams Company was experiencing unprecedented growth and success [/I] [I]...March 31, 1936, a fire began near the front of the plant ...The fire destroyed almost the entire plant except for several of the dry kilns located at the rear of the facility. [/I] [I]O. L. Williams made the announcement that the company would start the rebuilding process almost immediately. [/I] [I]...In 1967 the Williams Corporation merged with and became a part of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation. The merger with Georgia-Pacific in 1967 brought an end to the largest and most productive enterprise in the history of the Sumter community[/I] [I]...In 1983, Georgia Pacific announced its intention to sell its ailing Williams Furniture Division [/I][/QUOTE]
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