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2015 SESSION
WHEREAS, John D. Bassett III, a champion of American industry who has dedicated his life to strengthening the Galax economy and ensuring market fairness for American and Virginian companies, was inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame in 2013; and
WHEREAS, the sixth member of his extended family to be inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame, John Bassett received the honor during the High Point Market furnishings trade show in October 2013; and
WHEREAS, a native of Bassett in Henry County, an area named after his grandfather, John Bassett served his country as a member of the United States Army; returning from a posting in Germany in 1962, he helped steward the family business—Bassett Furniture—by running factories in Henry County and North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, in 1983, John Bassett joined and revitalized the Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Company in Galax; by 2014, the company had become the largest wood furnishings manufacturer in the United States, employing approximately 750 workers in Galax and Elkins, North Carolina, with plans to expand thanks to John Bassett’s leadership and courage; and
WHEREAS, a respected visionary in the industry, John Bassett encouraged workers to focus on quality when many American manufacturing companies transitioned to an outsourcing model; he helped his company succeed by modernizing equipment, ensuring premier customer service, and introducing an efficient five-day delivery model; and
WHEREAS, facing stiff competition from cheap imports, John Bassett traveled to China to gather evidence of price dumping, a violation of World Trade Organization rules; his investigation resulted in the world’s largest anti-price-dumping petition and the distribution of millions of dollars of duties to American companies; and
WHEREAS, John Bassett kept insurance costs low by investing in the well-being of his employees; he oversaw the establishment of the Vaughan-Bassett Free Clinic, a facility staffed by nurse practitioners where workers and their families can receive free care; and
WHEREAS, John Bassett’s efforts kept the furniture industry in Galax alive, saving hundreds of jobs; his story has been immortalized in the book Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local, and Helped Save an American Town, by Beth Macy; and
WHEREAS, John Bassett is an exemplar of the tenacity, strength, and dedication of American workers and an inspiration to other innovators and entrepreneurs throughout the nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend John D. Bassett III on being inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to John D. Bassett III as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his contributions to American industry and his work to protect the livelihoods of his fellow Virginians and Galax residents.