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January 16, 2018
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Furniture manufacturer McCreary Modern received the 2017 Industry of the Year Award during the 21st annual Caldwell County EDC celebration at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir.
In operation since 1986 and employing more than 1,000 people in Catawba and Caldwell counties, McCreary Modern has thrived as a private label manufacturer for retailers such as Crate and Barrel, Room & Board, and Arhaus.
Founded by Bob and Michele McCreary, the company has been previously lauded for its advanced manufacturing leadership and the implementation of an employee stock ownership plan that gifted employees with 30 percent of the business.
The McCrearys also have been generous contributors to numerous charitable endeavors including the McCreary Cancer Center in Lenoir, Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, Habitat for Humanity, Bob McCreary’s alma mater Wake Forest University, and the Town of Hudson, where Bob McCreary was raised.
Meanwhile, Elaine Lockhart – the former Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Vice President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development – was the recipient of the 2017 Herman Anderson Award that is presented to an individual who has made longtime contributions to the promotion of economic development.
Lockhart recently completed her 42-year career at CCC&TI and was instrumental in establishing programs to retrain workers who were impacted by furniture offshoring and the Great Recession. Her initiatives included the development of the school’s IT Institute and Electrical Lineman program, along with the expansion of the Truck Driver Training program.
She was also a catalyst in the development of Caldwell is Hiring – a semi-annual hiring event that puts individuals in touch with employers with immediate staffing needs. Prior to her retirement at the end of 2017, Lockhart was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper in recognition for her longtime contributions to the state.
Also, the N.C. Rural Economic Development Division was presented with a Partner Award in recognition for its outstanding cooperation toward helping Caldwell County businesses grow. Since 2006, the division has assisted more than 30 businesses with over $6 million in grants that led to more than $100 million in private investment.
Through building re-use and other grants, Caldwell County’s economy has rebounded, improving from more than 17 percent unemployment at the start of the decade to 4.5 percent. In addition, Caldwell moved to a Tier 2 county for 2018 in rankings compiled by the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Assistant Secretary Kenny Flowers – who also served as the ceremony’s guest speaker – accepted the award, along with staff members Melody Adams and Hazel Edmond.
