WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) welcomed Mr. William Gay, President and CEO of Diamond Brand Outdoors and Diamond Brand Canvas Products in Fletcher at a House Small Business Committee hearing entitled, “Heroes of Small Business.” The hearing, held during “National Small Business Week,” brought entrepreneurs from across the country to speak about their small businesses’ success in creating jobs and improving the economy.
“I am proud of companies like Diamond Brand who create jobs and are drivers for our local economy,” said Rep. Shuler. “During the past decade, our local economy has suffered because of losses in manufacturing jobs. Diamond Brand is one example of a local business that is working to turn our economy around and bring jobs back to Western North Carolina. Diamond Brand currently employs more than 140 people in their manufacturing and retail operations, and they are looking to hire additional workers.”
Diamond Brand, originally established in Philadelphia in 1881, is the oldest, continuously operating sewn product manufacturer in the country. In 1931, they manufactured the very first backpack for Boy Scouts of America. Now, Diamond Brand has three stores with more than 40,000 square feet of retail floor space, and is exploring expansion opportunities. Diamond Brand has received many local and national awards including The Best Outdoor Outfitter in Western North Carolina six years in a row, the United States Department of Defense’s DLA Top Supplier Award, and the U.S. Commerce Department’s Export Achievement Award.
In his testimony, Mr. Gay spoke of two exemplary workers whose employment speaks to the impact that Diamond Brand jobs have on the local community. He spoke of one employee who has worked at Diamond Brand for 14 years. Since both her husband and son are currently laid off from other manufacturers, she is the primary means of support for her family. He also shared the story of a young man who graduated from a prestigious college but has been unable to find work in his field of interest. After joining Diamond Brand, he became one of the top producing employees in less than a year.
During the hearing, Mr. Gay said, “I want to continue to dream big for the future of my family, company, and community in an area and industry that has been hit hard during the past decade. I want to be reassured that the laws and policies that are currently being crafted and implemented today are going to offer us the ability to be the leaders of the entrepreneurial spirit and engine of growth that this country has depended on for so many years.”
Rep. Shuler commended Diamond Brand both for their role in essential job-creation and for their impact on the local area. He said, “Their work with the local YMCA, with various environmental groups, and funding underprivileged kids to go to summer camps shows that they are not just a profitable and growing company, but a valuable asset to the Western North Carolina community. I am proud to have Mr. Gay testify in the House Small Business Committee about Diamond Brand’s great work as a successful small business and their role in lifting up those in need in our mountain community.”
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