Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301260245
SECTION: ECONOMY PAGE: EC-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: AMANDA BARRETT STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FAITH PULLS WORKERS THROUGH
"God is what keeps us strong," said Sue DeLong. "The devil is wasting his time if he thinks we are going to let him ruin our lives and take our happiness away."Perhaps that's not the message expected from the receptionist at Virginia Mills Cotton Products, formerly Roanoke Dyeing and Finishing. But DeLong, like others at the company, has had to rely on her faith much of the past 18 months.
In June 1991, Twin City Textiles Inc., the parent company of two local companies - Roanoke Dyeing and Finishing and Valley Apparel - filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while it reorganized. The company laid off some workers and left others unsure of their future employment.
With management and creditors working together, the company survived and in March 1992 agreed with its creditors on a plan for operation of its plants.
Six months ago the Glennon-Bittan Group, a firm based in Farmville, N.C., bought Twin City Textiles and changed the name of its two plants. Roanoke Dyeing and Finishing became Virginia Mills Cotton Products and Valley Apparel was renamed Star Mountain Tees.
The group hired Ron Boarman, former owner of Twin City Textiles, as a vice president in the corporate headquarters. He works with the sales team to market products from Virginia Mills Cotton Products.
"The transition has been good," said Nick Glennon, an officer of Glennon-Bittan who has moved to Roanoke to oversee Virginia Mills. "With all transition, there is a lot assimilation, a lot of necessary changes. But the people of Roanoke and the people of Virginia Mills Cotton Products have been responsive and it's been real positive."
DeLong has confidence in the new owners.
"It looks like [the owners] are about making this company go," she said. "I don't think this is one of those things where they say, `The check is in the mail.' "
Her husband, Jimmy, hasn't been so lucky. In December, Dominion Bankshares announced that his job in the accounting department would be eliminated after First Union Corp. acquires the corporation.
"I was not surprised by the merger," he said. "Because of the economy and the economic condition of the company, it was inevitable."
Again, faith helped the couple through a bad situation.
"After the announcement, some people were preparing to wear black on Monday, calling it `Black Monday,' " said Sue DeLong, "but Jimmy told the people in his department that Dominion didn't have his future, the Lord's got it."
An employee for 23 years, Jimmy DeLong had been through other mergers and the couple knew beforehand that they needed to plan.
"Your job can go, but if you have skills you can survive," she said. "People have to keep marketing themselves, updating their skills. After the shoe drops and you lose your job, you may get depressed. But if you are expecting it before, you should be getting ready."
The DeLongs aren't the only members of their family who believe in improving their skills. Their daughter, Durene Ann, 23, is studying for designation as a chartered professional secretary. Their son, Jamie, 24, is searching for a trucking job so he can save money to study engineering in college.
To Sue DeLong, the main problem with today's economy is not the economy itself but the attitudes of many people.
"I think people are giving in to it. We all have to hang in there," she said. "People have been through worse than this and survived."
She isn't planning on just surviving, though.
"Now is the time to see what we can get into. Maybe it is like being a new grandparent. At first, you feel like you've raised your children and don't really want to deal with more. But, all of a sudden, you're interested in children and schools and toys again.
"We'd just like to be navigators, not swallowed by change, but using it as an opportunity to do something with our lives."