Pigeon Mountain Industries
Founded in LaFayette, Georgia in 1976, Pigeon Mountain Industries (PMI) manufactures life safety rope and related equipment at the headquarters in LaFayette, Georgia. PMI ropes and equipment are used by firefighters, first responders, rescue teams, rope technicians, cavers and climbers worldwide. PMI was founded in 1976 by Steve Hudson, Smokey Caldwell and Richard Schreiber. Steve began cave diving in 1965 and in 1969, as a college freshman, began terrestrial caving with the West Georgia Grotto, part of the National Speleological Society (NSS). The harsh conditions experienced in caves was quickly damaging and destroying the ropes Steve and  his friends were using, and they came to believe that they could build a tougher rope more suited to caving. After purchasing a braider, PMI was incorporated in 1976 and began producing rope for the caving community. PMI soon gained a reputation as manufacturers of a durable, superior rope. As the company grew, PMI rope and equipment began to be used outside of its original caving roots, becoming a staple with fire departments, rescue teams and workers at height. PMI gradually expanded their product line to include a wide variety of equipment for fire, rescue, work at height and recreational  climbing. Steve and many other PMI employees have been founding and contributing members to safety and standards committees and organizations, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Speleological Society(NSS),the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC), the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA). Today PMI has offices in LaFayette, Georgia and Denver Colorado. In 2008, PMI added a training division, Vertical Rescue Solutions to the Colorado office.