Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1959-08-19
Gruinger Block Company Is
Bio Economic Asset ToTubor


Railroad Street.
Growth of Granger Block
Company has been rather phc-
nkncnal but success hasn't been
"A Der chance item. Owner Wood
row Granger has kept constant.
ly in touch with the business
and operation Of the plant.
working as much as IA and l6.
hours each day.
Granger got into the block
business one day in 1916 when.
two local men came to him.
wanting to buy blocks for con-
struction OF a building. At that
ryment he wasn't in the block
business but agreed to use his
truck to bring blocks from out
of town for these two men
When he went to the block COM
pany to fill that particular order
he made an agreement with the
owner to purchase blocks al
wholesale prices. This was the
actual start of Granger Block
Company.
In 1850 the actual making OF
blocks in Tabor City began on
hand machine that turned out
one block al time with a max
imum of 200 being produced in
a day. In 1851 another hand
machine was purchased with the
same production capacity. To-
day the modern block-makins
machinery produces 5000 blocks
each day it is in operation.
The economy of the area gets
69'booSt from Granger Block
Company's progress: During the
busy season from September
thru June there are 20 people
employed with Il payroll OF S55.-
900. Even during the off season
there are Is regular employees.
Formerly located on the Green
Sea Road with one acre OF land
the move to the new location
gives the Company plenty OF
Issm for continued expansion
/ Nc ucw Six-dcre site already
houses the main office, a main
tenanCc ship. and several build
lngS used Tor the production of
the blocks. Too, a railroad sid
ing was built by Granger or
the ucw location -- freight car
load purchases O.. r.w materials
can now be rolled conveniently
near the site 70 TIE production
Inc
NIrtu.II> everything N the
line Of labor Saving devices Tor
block companies can be found
IN use at lnc local company
The once back breaking labor
OF loading blocks on trucks by
hand has been replaced by {
unique motor driven truck with
several prongs that fit into the
open part oil the block. The
stocks of blocks are easily load
c" and lifted onto the waitin.
trucks. Facilities include tiv,
cement mixer trucks and sever
al other trucks pushing the total
number of trucks to -.
One of the ingredients tina
has spelled success for Grazing
cr Block Company was revealed
by Il recent customer - "Nol
don't have to wonder when de
livery will be made. The service
is 0xcellcnt and the quality OF
the blocks is excellent. Whcr
Grainger'S tells you it will b,
done at a certain time then il
is done at that time"
A large supply of concrete
and Solitc blocks are on hand at
all times. There are $4,000
blocks on the spacious yard
right now.
Granger happily relates that
CuIcrcte and Solite blocks arc
bccOming more and more in de
mand. They are recommended
by architects throughout for
construction of buildings and
homes. Some 10 years ago the
value of blocks was not really
realized by many people in the
building business.
The advantages of using
blocks can be found in the light
weight feature and the cost
CAcrete blocks retail on the
yard for 20 cents each while So
lite blocks retail for 81 cents
Two cents per block is added for
delivery.
When asked the difference
between a concrete and cement
block, Granger replied that
there was no such thing as g
cement block.
"When the cement is mixed II
bcckncs concrete so there is no
such thing as a cement block"
he noted.
Blocks really came into their
own In this area about 1854 aft
or Hurricane Hazel dealt q
wicked blow to the beaches in
the area. Home owners noted
that homes constructed with