Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-08-06
Johnson City Assured
of $7,OOO,OOO Plant
Huge Textile Plant on Elizabethton
Pike Will Employ Is 90 Men
10000 When Industry is Complete
(Johnson City Chronicle. J

The eyes of the entire textile world
are today turning toward the john
son City Elizabethton district as the
result of the announcement that the
Americana Bemberg Company, a sew
enteen and one half million dollar
corporation, has selected this district
for the location Of their mammoth
Rayon plant for the manufacture of
artificial silk.
$4,000 Inhabitants by 1880 is the
rosy prospect which confronts the cit
izens of this city which is now on the
verge of its greatest industrial devel-
opment-a development which will
rival the most glowing Florida growth
Elizabethton, Johnson City's near
est neighbor, will likewise magically
expand as the location of the new
plant will be in Happy Valley on
the Elizabethton pike, just beyond
Sycamore Shoals, where more than
one thousand acres have been secured
to take care of the huge requirement
of this great industry.
According to information received
from the New York conference, the
American-Bemberg Company will i'm
mediately start work on the new
plant and expect to have one or two
units in operation within the next
twelve months, employing at least
1,5OO persons, while the building pro-
gram calls for continuous develop
ment until the full plant will have
been erected within five years, en-
ploying not less than 10000 opera
tives. This five year program will re-
suit in the investment of between
S7,OOO,OOO and $1O,OOO,OOO in this
immediate district from this one
source. .
To men behind the great enterprise
are experienced in this field as the
same group of industrial leaders con-
troll vast Rayon plant in Germany
which employs $4,000 operatives and
they are now engaged in erecting
plants in both France and Italy which
each will require some $4,000 en-
ployees. The local plant will be the
fourth in the chain controlled by the
gentlemen who are the largest man.
ufacturers of Rayon in the world.
Credit for the securing of this big
enterprise is jointly due the members
of the Johnson City and Elizabethton
Chambers of Commerce, acting thru
their representatives, Crawford AL
exander of Elizabethton and J. w.
Ring of johnson City. For almost a
week they have been in continuous
conference with the representatives
of the American Bemberg, Company
in New York and the final contracts
have just been ratified, following
their return home late Saturday.
Since then several important matters
have been completed, resulting in the
release of the definite announcement
this morning.
The local Chamber of Commerce
is thronged today with business men
expressing their appreciation of the
successful functioning of the Cham
Der. Naturally to President j. w.
Ring goes unlimited praise for his
acumen and generalship, for to him
more than anyone else, should go the
credit as his was the chief responsible
ity and his was the untiring effort
expended in the competition with o.
ther cities.
johnson City is indeed the metro
polls of the Appalachians and the
goal of $4,000 in 1880 is not only
possible. but it is probable.