FACTORY MAN

FACTORY MAN                                              BETH MACY

The Bassett Furniture Company was once the world's biggest wood furniture manufacturer. Run by the same powerful Virginia family for generations, it was also the center of life in Bassett, Virginia. But beginning in the 1980s, the first waves of Asian competition hit, and ultimately Bassett was forced to send its production overseas.

One man fought back: John Bassett III, a shrewd and determined third-generation factory man, now chairman of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co, which employs more than 700 Virginians and has sales of more than $90 million. In FACTORY MAN, Beth Macy brings to life Bassett's deeply personal furniture and family story, along with a host of characters from an industry that was as cutthroat as it was colorful. As she shows how he uses legal maneuvers, factory efficiencies, and sheer grit and cunning to save hundreds of jobs, she also reveals the truth about modern industry in America.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a story of John Bassett the III and how he worked to save an industry and or town that was started by his family. The first part of the book begins with a history of the town of Bassett, the beginnings and how the family began building furniture and the lives in the area. It starts from 1902 and takes you up to 2000’s and to when Bassett is forced of the company that bears his family name. But by working for another company he takes on the trade in Asia and though it takes years of work and research, and travel he wins, and not only saves jobs but an American industry. Of course there are pluses and minuses to everything, but at least he took on what he thought was wrong and unfair practices. When the foreign governments were saying one thing, but that was only on paper. The American government was taking them at their word not investigating on their own, so it was up to him to get the evidence and then submit it to congress and follow through with all of the red tape. If this one industry is, and was doing illegal practices then you have to wonder how many more are doing the same thing? Especially when we have so many recalls and defects of products. This was a good book, but I would have liked more about the trail with congress and the fight he had with them. I got this book from netgalley. I give this 3 stars.