A Union County factory is opening up again after falling victim to the slumping economy.
Arctel, Inc. in Maynardville went idle in February.
The company makes mirrors, ceiling medallions and lighting accessories, items not in high demand as builders and businesses cut costs.
Chris Woods is happy to be working again after being without a job for almost a year.
“I came very close to losing my house. I was four months behind on my payments six months ago. Now I am one month behind on my payments which is a drastic improvement,” Woods said.
He’s back at the same plant working for the same boss who was forced to lay him off.
“We were totally in the dark as to what was going on. He said lay everybody off including yourself so we were all pretty well devastated,” Rick Collins said.
Collins spent 38 years making polyurethane decor items at the manufacturing plant, which opened in 1968.
When the plant closed, he was financially stable but many of his former employees weren’t. So Collins decided to buy the plant and reopen it himself.
“When you work with people and see them having financial difficulties like losing their homes, it puts the onus on you to help people,” Collins said.
Chances are, you’ve seen the work from this plant. The mirrors are in a lot of hotels and their ceiling medallions are in a lot of higher end homes.
When the construction industry was hit by the recession, so was Arctel,, then called Permalife. Sales plummeted 40 percent nationwide and the plant closed.
Now, Collins hopes when demand picks up he can get more people back to work. “Our goal is within six months to have 25 people employed.”
Collins hopes to have 100 people employed eventually. He says he aims to employ as many of his people as he can.
“I know Rick didn’t have to do it. He did it to help everybody else out and that’s a good thing. He is a good man,” Woods said.
At one time, the factory employed 157 people.
Union County’s unemployment is at 10 percent and about half of those employed commute outside the county to work.
Union County Mayor Larry Lay said saving Arctel will really help the local economy. “It’s very important to Union County to get any type of business. It replaces the jobs that we lost here.”
Arctel’s ceiling medallions and trim are in the S&W Grand Cafe in downtown Knoxville.
Source: WATE
