Fabric of America: The Strasser Family Journey

By Bob Farina

"Fabric of America" is an inspiring story of love, resilience, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Set against the backdrop of 1928 Vienna, Andre and Olivia fall in love while dancing to the enchanting melodies of Johann Strauss' The Blue Danube Waltz. Their journey leads them to America, where they build a life together, overcoming numerous obstacles along the way.

Determined to make a difference, Andre faces countless challenges as he opens a knitting factory in a small North Carolina town. Eventually, his factory becomes the community's cornerstone, prospering for over fifty years. Meanwhile, Olivia raises three sons before embarking on her own remarkable journey. At age 59, she attends college and goes on to become the town's first female mayor, courageously tackling issues related to illiteracy, disability, and poverty.

"Fabric of America" is a heartfelt tale that celebrates the immigrant experience and highlights the countless success stories that have woven together to create the diverse tapestry of America.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667897486

Bob Farina

As a native New Yorker, Bob Farina is a graduate of St. John's University who enjoyed a 30-year corporate executive career with Bloomingdales Department Store and a 10-year career as President and COO of Hart Systems. Bob relocated to Charleston, SC in 2006 and now is a real estate professional servicing the greater Charleston area. He has published three prior novels. Bob and his wife, Mary Ann, reside on Daniel Island in Charleston. Their daughters Allison and Carolyn, along with their grandchildren, live in the Carolinas as well. An avid golfer, Bob enjoys many of Charleston's great courses.

Book preview

BK90076840.jpg

Copyright @ 2023

By Bob Farina

Print ISBN: 978-1-66789-747-9

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66789-748-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter38

Chapter39

Epilogue

Author’s Note

About the Author

For

Simon Krawczyk

And the Millions of Other Immigrants Who Have Been the Fabric of America

Quality Means

Doing it Right

When No One is Looking.

Henry Ford

In Business

Everything is Based on a Simple Rule:

Quality is the Best Business Plan, Period.

Steve Jobs

Chapter

1

After selling his profitable family 60-year-old knitting factory, which he inherited four years earlier upon the sudden death of his father, twenty-seven-year-old Andre Strasser made the best decision of his life. He and his wife, Olivia, left Austria in 1932 and emigrated to America, before the political upheaval that began the following year. He was an only child who began to work at his father’s plant when he was ten years old. His mother had passed away from pneumonia the previous winter. Andre excelled at every job in the factory and became the plant manager at the unusually young age of nineteen. His father then exposed him to the critical task of buying high quality yarn and constantly reminded Andre that, Our company name is everything; never compromise the quality of the yarn!

The Strasser knitting plant was located thirty-six miles south of Vienna in Eisenstadt, a small city in the Austrian state of Burgenland. Unlike so many other Austrian emigrants who settled in New York City, Chicago and Pittsburgh, Andre and Olivia decided on the major knitting city of Burlington, North Carolina, primarily because the name Burlington was close to Burgenland and they both felt it was a heavenly sign that they were making the right decision.

The impact of the 1929 Depression was still a dominant factor in 1932 when Andre and Olivia first arrived in Burlington. With millions of people out of work, the demand for consumer products throughout the country was virtually non-existent. Several knitting factories were in the process of closing. Andre was able to purchase the Pritchard Knitting Company a week before it was scheduled to close its doors. The owners were so desperate to sell that they accepted Andre’s minimal cash offer for the sixty thousand square foot building, equipment, and yarn inventory. The plant manager and all the support staff remained in place for Andre.

On Monday May 2, 1932, Andre gathered the fifty-three employees on the production floor and ordered all machines to be shut down. Olivia had set up a large table filled with traditional Austrian apple strudel and raspberry Linzer cookies that she baked, along with pots of steaming coffee and freshly brewed tea. Most of the workers had never tasted strudel and were amazed with the puff pastry rolls made of flaky phyllo dough filled with the sweet apple compote.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Strasser Fabric Company. Olivia and I are so happy to be here in your country. I know that everyone has been struggling to survive, so the first thing I want to say is that I will do everything I can to make sure that we will remain in business for a long, long, long time!

The spontaneous applause from everyone was accompanied by shouts of gratitude.

Andre continued, Effective immediately, everyone will receive a five-cent increase in his or her hourly wage.

Another round of applause followed.

I want you to know that I am twenty-seven years old and have worked in my family’s knitting factory in Austria since I was ten years old. I did every job each of you do…from cleaning the floors and bathrooms, to warping the yarn, to threading the needles, to running the knitting machines. I have repaired machines, purchased the yarn to knit, and have managed the plant.

At this point, Andre had their full attention. He was able to relate to each worker. Everyone was mesmerized. He went on to provide more information about his experiences at the factory and closed the meeting with the following:

Here’s what you can expect from me and what I expect from you. I will be fair, honest, and respectful to you, but I insist that each of you work to the best of your ability. I will hold you to the highest standards of quality. While it’s my name and reputation at stake, it is in our mutual financial benefit to grow the fabric business into the best knitting quality factory in Burlington. Keep in mind that I do not know you, so you have an opportunity to basically start over. Most of the time you will be working by yourself. It is in those times that you must be guided by doing the right thing. Do not be tempted to cut corners. Keep in mind that our customers will come back to us looking for a credit or a refund for poor quality workmanship and this will result in less company profit and a lower wage increase for everyone. However, more importantly, we run the risk of ruining our reputation, and that jeopardizes our company and each of you and your families. It is your performance from this day forward that will determine your future and that of the Strasser Fabric Company.

Olivia’s annual New Year’s celebration on the last workday of the year was always well received by the workers. Over the years, her buffet had become a visually impressive array of Austrian breakfast delights, but her homemade apple strudel was still the hands-down preference. Andre used the occasion to share the status of the company’s performance for that year and the goals for the coming year. He always closed the meeting with an announcement of the hourly wage increase for the employees. 1939 was the only year there was no wage increase.

The Strasser Fabric Company successfully navigated the Great Depression and by 1942 was regarded as the best quality knitting company in all of Burlington. During this time Andre slowly moved the company from knitting fabric for manufacturers of consumer apparel to fabric for industrial use. By 1943, the Strasser Fabric Company was one of the three companies selected by the United States Department of Defense to knit the component fabrics for military parachutes. The government contract catapulted Strasser into a three-shift operation and brought with it an incredible amount of revenue.

At the annual New Year’s Eve breakfast buffet in 1945, Andre shared the Strasser Fabric Company’s financial success for that year and for subsequent years.

As you know, after we knit fabric for our customers, we ship almost all of our fabric bolts to another company that dyes the fabric and forwards it to our customer’s plant for the final manufacturing process. Next year we will build a 15,000 square foot building addition to our factory, where we will be able to dye our fabrics and ship the finished bolts directly to our customers’ plants. This will result in a significant reduction of their shipping costs, and they will receive their finished bolts one week earlier than they currently do. This will mean more jobs here at Strasser and more opportunities for you to expand your experiences.

Andre intentionally eyed all the employees as he continued, The last few years have been great for our company, but we must always look to expand our future revenue. We had exceptional profits. So, in addition to the building expansion I mentioned, I am announcing a twenty-cent hourly wage increase for everyone.

The reaction from all the workers was deafening. The handclaps and joyous vocal accolades were thunderous.

When Andre held up his hands, all the noise and clamor came to a grinding halt. Most of you have been with me since I first came here back in 1932. I promised you that I would be fair, honest and respectful to you, and treat you with dignity. In return I had asked that you do the best you can. Well, today the Strasser Fabric Company is regarded as the number one high quality knitting factory not only in Burlington but in all of North Carolina. There is no doubt in my mind that the reason for this is that we have the absolute finest employees in the knitting business! So finally, I would like each of you to come up here. I want to personally thank you with a cash bonus!

The entire staff yelled and screamed as they formed a single line and proceeded in their march to Andre. Looking in each person’s eyes he said, ‘Thank you’ and added their first name. He knew them all. He shook hands and gave each employee an envelope containing one hundred dollars.

Chapter

2

For the next twenty years the Strasser Fabric Company continued on a path of growth. The expansion into the dye business was a huge success and provided the company with a distinct advantage over their compet itors.

Since coming to America, Andre and Olivia raised three sons. Their oldest, Eric, was now thirty years old and had received an Industrial Engineering degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Even though the school was only a one-hour drive from his home in Burlington, Eric decided to live on campus. He pitched for the NC State Wolfpack baseball team but developed a serious case of elbow tendonitis in his junior year and was unable to continue with the sport.

Like his father, Eric worked at every position in the factory during his teenage years and upon his graduation from NC State became the knitting department manager, then the shipping manager and a few years ago was promoted to plant manager. His work ethic and affinity for the business was excellent. He was dependable and very conscientious. As their first-born, Andre and Olivia were always alert to Eric with an old-world European rule-driven attentiveness to everything he did. In turn, Eric naturally strived to please his parents and evolved into a perfectionist.

Although Eric’s personality was different than Andre’s, his concern for the well-being of the workers was paramount. With Eric in position to run the plant, Andre was able to concentrate on the critical task of the yarn purchase, driving the sales team, and overseeing the finances of the company.

Andre’s other sons, Franz and Christoph, were now twenty-six and twenty-two years old. Both had been a challenge for Andre and Olivia through their formative years. Unlike his brother Eric, Franz chose not to go to college. Following high school, he started to work for the family fabric business and seemed to have an interest in the company but was habitually late and often was absent and became an embarrassment. After several warnings, Andre concluded that he needed to terminate his son’s employment. It was a difficult decision, but Andre really had no other option. He and Olivia argued about it but eventually she understood and agreed. However, before he sat down with Franz, he reached out to Tyrone Brown, the owner of T.B. Yarn Company, one of Strasser’s yarn suppliers in a nearby town of Balfour and made a lunch date at Boston’s Sandwich Shop on W. Front Street in Burlington.

Ty, thanks for meeting with me.

Sure. Is there an issue with that last yarn order we shipped?

No. It’s a personal matter and quite honestly I feel awkward with even discussing it with you.

There is no problem. We go back many years. How can I help you?

It involves my son, Franz. He’s my middle boy and has always been a challenge for me and Olivia. He really is a good son and I have been collaborating with him in our factory, but he does not have the ambition for success. He’s often late and absent. Our personnel department has discussed this with him several times and he has been given several warnings, but yesterday he was absent and did not bother to even notify the office. If this were any other worker, he would already have been terminated.

When he’s there, how is the quality of his work? queried Ty.

It’s good. The people he works with like him. Outside of the factory he has a large circle of friends and some of them have made poor lifestyle decisions. Franz is a people-pleaser and is easily influenced by them.

Look, Andre, I know you have a real star with your older son, Eric. My people have dealt with Eric, and they have the highest regard for him. I’m guessing Franz finds himself unhappily working in the same place with his older brother as plant manager and his father as owner.

You’re right. That’s what I wanted to speak to you about. As likeable as he is, Franz has always been somewhat rebellious with us. I guess growing up with an older brother who exceled at everything he did, created a plateau that Franz struggled to match.

Andre, I fully understand. Let me save you the discomfort of asking and say that Franz can come and work for me. A change of environment will do him some good.

Are you sure? I only want to do this if it works out for you.

Yes, it does. Coincidently, I need an assistant shipping manager. If he performs well with us, there is a chance he can take over as manager when Colby Denton retires next year.

Ty, what can I say? I appreciate your understanding and your willingness to help. Olivia will be very pleased. I will meet with Franz this afternoon.

Good luck. Ask him to call me.

At 22 years old, Christoph was Andre’s and Olivia’s youngest son. He was a fun-loving, uncomplicated boy growing up but as a young adult he was easily distracted at the plant with the other workers, especially the female staff. While Christoph was movie-star handsome with his Teutonic wavy blond hair and light blue eyes, the women at the plant knew he was the son of the owner and refused to accept his advances. By 1965, the hourly wage at the Strasser Fabric plant was $2.03, significantly higher than the other North Carolina fabric plants. Working at Strasser was considered a premier and much coveted job for the uneducated Burlington workforce. The young ladies did not want to risk the loss of their positions.

Christoph was a free-spirited and adventurous young man and always looked forward to the weekends. Most often his Friday and Saturday nights were spent at Hal’s Bar and Grill where he enjoyed his beers with the locals. He developed a fun-loving relationship with one of the barmaids, Loretta Mitchell. Christoph would meet her after her shift ended and accompany her to Loretta’s apartment above the local hardware store a half mile away from Hal’s. They would enjoy some bourbon shots and share work experiences. Loretta was three years older, had married at seventeen and was divorced by twenty. The first three escorts ended with Christoph leaving a few hours later after lots of laughs. However, on the next escort back to her apartment, Loretta excused herself when they first walked in and headed to her bedroom. Christoph retrieved the bourbon and glasses and awaited her return to the living room. Finally, the bedroom door opened, and he turned to see Loretta standing on the threshold wearing a thin pink bathrobe. After a period of silence, Loretta loosened the belt and slowly let the robe fall off her shoulders and onto the floor. Her twenty-seven-year-old firm and fully developed nude body brought an instant desire in Christoph, who for the first time in his life was speechless.

"I thought we might enjoy the bourbon