Just ran across this old post from @John Morris  while looking for pics of Lew's chopsticks...

Maybe you would like to know "some of the rest of the story"...

 

 

 

 John Morris

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Posted July 16, 2011 · Report post

I was watching the news in the shop just a few minutes ago, and I saw a feature episode about a fellow that is making Chop Sticks and selling them to China! What a cool entrepreneurial spirit this guys has. Imagine, making chop sticks in America and selling them in China! Something just very entertaining about this story, isn't there an old saying that goes something like, "If a man could corner the market on chop sticks and sell them to the Chinese, he'd be a billionaire" or something like that.

 

Apparently as the story goes, Georgia has a huge supply of sourgum and poplar, the most perfect chop stick making lumber in the world, and lumber that China is in short supply of. Way to go to small business man!

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

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John Morris

Welcome to The Patriot Woodworker!

 

 

I cannot say for certain, as I did not see this news clip that John refers to.  The timing is about correct however.

In Americus, Georgia (about 60 miles from me) a "Chinese entrepreneur" proposed opening a chop stick manufacturing facility.  I do not know how Americus was selected or where the initial business inquiry originated.  There is not a lot of poplar trees in this region; maybe sweet gum is kin to it?  Sorghum is a grain crop and a good bit is grown in this area for cattle and hog feed.  Now, please keep in mind that in 2011 the country was recovering from a pretty severe economic recession.  Places like Atlanta were faring ok, but in rural places like Americus there was very little new business coming to town.  Cities and counties were pretty much in an economic war with their neighbors in an attempt to lure in new businesses.  For the right business; property tax concessions, cheap building rental, employee training - even state grants (free money) could be had.  A manufacturing facility used to be the crown jewel of economic development - you can bet the competition for a business like this would be serious stuff.

 

Does this sound like it could lead to anything going wrong?  It sometimes did - and our chop stick dream goes in this category.  A suitable building was found, about a 25,000 sq. ft. facility in the Americus-Sumter County industrial park.  Machinery & Equipment was ordered, some of it even made it into the building.  The "Chinese entrepeneur"?  He vanished!  Some few months later y friend that owns an auction company was contracted to sell off the contents of the building and recover what could be had.  Not a lot of demand for chop stick making M&E.  Them's the facts that I know about our chop stick maker in Americus.  How much in the way of incentives were offered, or how many suitcases of cash he left town with I do not know.  At the time of the auction the whereabouts of the guy was unknown.  I do not know if they ever tracked him down.

 

And now you know, some of the rest of the story...

Cal

 

Edited December 5, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
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Thanks Mr Harvey. I enjoyed.   But I don't know if I will ever forgive John for leaving us up there on that high note, oh well!

 

1 hour ago, clhyer said:

And now you know, some of the rest of the story...

 

Paul Harvey's voice is echoing in my ears...

............................................Good Day!

 

Thanks for the back story, too.

Well I guess things weren't so "peachy" after-all now were they?

Speaking of Paul Harvey, my favorite one by him was the "So God Made Farmers" - it was a voice over of a dodge commercial that first aired during a Super Bowl. The local rodeo would use that as the Introduction. One year, they did not do it, so I asked the announcer when they had a break - he told me that Dodge lost the 'rights' to it and could not use it anymore.  

In case you have not seen it, here is a link (I hope)-

 

 

2 minutes ago, Chips N Dust said:

Speaking of Paul Harvey, my favorite one by him was the "So God Made Farmers"

One of his best commentaries ever. I never tire of hearing this one. Thanks Kelly!

thanks for the follow up! The first thing that came to my mind reading your follow up Cal was Solyndra, remember that beast? http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/26/solyndra-misled-government-get-535-million-solar-p/

 

A lot of crud was happening around that time wasn't it? Everyone had their mittens in the honey pot.

today's project.

 

well, it involved sticks (target sticks, 54 to be exact, all 5 feet long).

 

one end painted black, that's the end that goes down.