‘ In it for the long haul ’
Homtex ' s move to mask making a move toward the future .
By Amy Henderson Photos by Amanda Shavers
Since its humble beginnings as a small - as in
three people - family business , HomTex has operated with the purpose of improving lives by providing people with better sleep . This year , as the company quickly transitioned its bedding operations to mask making , they added “ saving lives ” to their purpose .
The company has come a long way since incorporating in 1987 . What started out as a small family business has grown into a multi-state and international operation , with production plants in Cullman , Tennessee , North and South Carolina and offices in China and India . The company now employs 400- 500 people and continues to add to that number .
“ We ’ ve tried to keep a family-oriented type business ,” said CEO Jerry Wootten . “ I always talk about this as a larger family business . My family is involved in the day-to-day operations , and I still feel like we have a small business and I want my people to feel that way too , so we stay connected to all our employees .”
Some of those workers have been with the company for decades . “ It ’ s hard to call some of them employees because they ’ ve been around so long they feel like part of the family ,” he said .
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