Glen Raven

Today we visited Glen Raven, a fabric and textile manufacturer. John Grant started the company in the 1800’s and his ancestors still own Glen Raven this very day. The fact that the original founding family still owns this company is very unique because usually big companies are constantly changing ownership. It was very interesting to learn about what exactly Glen Raven does and who their customers are. One of their biggest customers are vehicle companies across America. Glen Raven produces the material for car seats for the majority of popular car company’s. Another thing this company does which I found to be interesting was make sails for sailboats. I have been sailing my whole life and it was cool to be at the factory that makes it possible for me to sail. During the presentation, it was fascinating to learn how often Glen Raven has changed over the years. Obviously there was very limited technology when Glen Raven began but now so much of their business is run by technology. Also, Glen Raven used to pay much less to their employees because a lot of their employees were children. In today’s world, with strict labor laws, children are no longer allowed to work at Glen Raven. Something that I consider to be one of Glen Ravens many strengths is their vision for the future. Glen Raven is so committed to the future that they have hired a special team to come up with new plans for the business in attempt to further this large company. With a company vision of “Let endless possibilities begin”, workers at Glen Raven are constantly thinking of ideas in the ultimate goal of making more money. Today’s trip made me realize just how many job opportunities are available within a specific company. Although I don’t know very much about operating the machinery that creates the fabric, I might be able to pursue a career in another field, which Glen Raven has to offer, such as the social media marketing. Visiting Glen Raven and taking a tour of their facility was a great learning experience.

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