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About
A Mill Village Story is the record of one man's upbringing in a place and time that is quickly vanishing. A quintessentially American small town, West Point, Georgia is a place defined by its local industry-a world-class textile mill run by the West Point Pepperell corporation-and adherence to traditional Southern values of congeniality, manners, and friendliness. Everyone author Gerald Andrews knew or even just rubbed shoulders with worked at the mill, and it was Andrews's experiences there that would take him from relative poverty to the corporate boardroom. A Mill Village Story is an account of Andrews's early years, his rapid rise to leadership in various textile firms, and the special character of the village that shaped him.
How does a young man go from night watchman to corporate sales in a matter of years? A Mill Village Story offers some explanation. Creativity and kindness set him on the right path, those characteristics nurtured in him by family members and the mill community. Gerald Andrews also quickly gained a reputation as a problem-solver-even at the lowest position at the mill-and for recognizing the importance of every employee, no matter their rank. This compassion for his employees contributed to his success. In A Mill Village Story, a lifetime of wisdom comes to file, with Andrews peppering his tale with the homegrown philosophies he developed from the unique social relationships he enjoyed growing up. Add to the mix personal encounters with Southern characters like country psychic Mayhayley Lancaster and A Mill Village Story becomes a memorable time capsule that serves as a portrait of a uniquely American place.
How does a young man go from night watchman to corporate sales in a matter of years? A Mill Village Story offers some explanation. Creativity and kindness set him on the right path, those characteristics nurtured in him by family members and the mill community. Gerald Andrews also quickly gained a reputation as a problem-solver-even at the lowest position at the mill-and for recognizing the importance of every employee, no matter their rank. This compassion for his employees contributed to his success. In A Mill Village Story, a lifetime of wisdom comes to file, with Andrews peppering his tale with the homegrown philosophies he developed from the unique social relationships he enjoyed growing up. Add to the mix personal encounters with Southern characters like country psychic Mayhayley Lancaster and A Mill Village Story becomes a memorable time capsule that serves as a portrait of a uniquely American place.
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Reviews
"These tales of growing up in the Chattahoochee Valley and Andrews's later successes are interesting and inspiring. A Mill Village Story is a fascinating inside look at how the rise and fall of the textile industry in America defined for decades life in communities like West Point."
Steve Tramell, Mayor of West Point, Georgia
"A Mill Village Story kindles the mind and feeds the soul. Gerald Andrews gives a heartfelt account of growing up in a textile manufacturing community, full of the contrasts and similarities that bridged social, economic, and political differences over seven decades."
June Henton, Dean of Auburn University's College of Human Sciences
"Gerald Andrews's life in West Point, Georgia, was anything but poor. The family's primary resource was one another, as it was throughout the village. Andrews's writing doesn't gloss over hardships, however. A Mill Village Story lays bare the realities of segregation and discrimination of the time. A vivid and insightful reflection into a distinct culture that is no more."
Malinda C. Powers, President of the Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society