An in-depth look at the almost impossible mission of the Bassett family and their in-law rivals to save a tiny slice of American manufacturing: the North Carolina-based furniture factory. These benevolent overlords employed white and Black workers at their company town facilities (albeit with lower wages and more menial jobs for Black workers). Much is made of the rivalry between heirs JD (Jim) Bassett III and his brother-in-law Bob Spilman, perhaps too much. There is some commentary from actual workers in the plants, especially after so many were shut down due to off-shoring to China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The chapters on the actual fight to keep Bassett alive once Bill Clinton and congress brought NAFTA and its "giant sucking sound" of American jobs disappearing to fruition is portrayed as a noble one, with Jim Bassett never wanting to surrender, both for the livelihoods of his neighbors and for family tradition and pride. Has there ever been a comprehensive lookback at the impact of globalization on the working and middle class of this country and of the countries that directly benefitted, creating a higher standard of living for the world and a lower one for most Americans? Now, more then 50 years since, we can look at AI and ChatGPT as movers of yet another tsunami of worker displacement, this time led by Americans. The book is very thorough in showing how small towns dependent on one industry are no longer viable, thus the fleeing from dying rural locales. My criticism is that it's way too long and focuses too much on the Bassett personalities. ( )

It's not just about the details of the furniture business and trade policy, although that was enough to make me want to read this book. By the time I had finished this tale of company-town Southside/Southwest Virginia , I was left with the impression that one could take this book and create a dramatic series just as interesting as a Mad Men or Downton Abbey. ( )

nonfiction; American businessman takes on China. (stopped at part ii, p.69) I liked it ok, but it was pretty thorough/not as quick a read as I would've liked. If I had more time, maybe... ( )

John Douglas Bassett, a.k.a. J.D. Bassett, started first a sawmill and then a furniture company with his brother, C.C. Bassett, in Virginia in 1902. The unincorporated town of Bassett grew up around the factory. As the business and the family grew, J.D. assisted relatives and in-laws to start other furniture companies, and the region became a powerhouse in the American furniture industry.

And then the 1980s and the beginnings of globalization and cheap Chinese import furniture arrived.

This is mainly the story of John D. Bassett III (JBIII), J.D.'s grandson, and his battle to keep his factory alive, his employees working, and American-made furniture in American homes. Macy makes JBIII, his ancestors, and his cousins and in-laws rich and compelling characters. The growth of the Bassett companies, the cooperation and conflict within the family, and the close intertwining among the family, the industry, and the communities they operate in is revealed in beautiful and absorbing detail. When JBIII recognizes the impact Chinese imports are having not just on his business but on the whole industry, he decides to fight back. Because Vaughn-Bassett is closely held, unlike many other furniture companies, even the original Bassett Furniture, he's free to pursue what he thinks is the best course, and not just the quarterly bottom line.

He uses the tools provided by the same laws that enabled the foreign threat to his business to fight back, and keep his factory and his town alive.

Macy brings the story to life, clearly explaining the business issues, the economic issues, and the personalities at play here. She and Bassett ask a question often overlooked in the free market purists' enthusiasm for low consumer prices: What good are low prices if the would-be consumers don't have jobs, or are making so little that they can't afford even those "low" prices?

Highly recommended.

Book trailer: Meet John Bassett III
http://youtu.be/aj5KyVdmkho

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

How one furniture maker battled offshoring