Jobs created in New Site

Cushion Source expands in Tallapoosa County

STORY & PHOTOS BY SIRI HEDREEN

As Cushion Source has discovered, the Lake Martin area is a great place to expand a business.

A custom order indoor and outdoor cushion manufacturer, the Montgomery company is bringing 25 new cut-and-sew jobs to New Site, owner Gerry Monroe announced last month. The operation will move into a building that previously was used in the textile industry and is located on the state Route 22 corridor.

The move allows the company to continue their dedication to keeping jobs in the United States, Monroe said.

“From the very beginning, the Cushion Source brand has been built on ‘Made in the USA,’” Monroe said. “With all that has happened over the last few years, more people are realizing how strategically important it is for us not to depend on some offshore company to provide us what we need. Cushion Source is doing our part to bring back these skilled jobs at a company that values the contribution of our team members.”

Monroe also hopes to turn a new generation of employees on to working with their hands here in the U.S.

“Hopefully, we can also encourage young people to consider learning these skills and realize how they can make a long-term positive difference in their lives and in their own community,” Monroe said. “The fact is that we are seeing customers become more appreciative of the fact that talented American hands are making these cushions with pride. That is a strong signal for a healthy future for our team.”

Monroe believes Tallapoosa County is the ideal place to expand Cushion Source.

“We believe that New Site, Alabama, is the perfect location to hire a qualified, dedicated team to create the highest quality cushions available anywhere,” Monroe said.

New Site Mayor Phil Blasingame is pleased to see 25 new jobs come to town.

“I saw the potential that this building could have as far as a manufacturing operation early on in my term as mayor, and I reached out to the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance to see if they could market the building to potential industry,” Blasingame said. “They added the building to the state’s building database, and when Mr. Monroe’s project was looking in the area, I think they felt that it was a no-brainer to give him a tour. Luckily for us, he felt it was a perfect fit.”

The new industry is represented at the Tallapoosa County Commission by Commissioner John McKelvey. He is proud to see new jobs coming to any part of Tallapoosa County but especially to rural areas like his district. “We are extremely pleased that Cushion Source chose New Site for their new operation, and we welcome them to Tallapoosa County,” McKelvey said. “As District 3 Commissioner, it’s exciting for me to see a new manufacturing facility in my area. Job creation is always a priority for me, and I think the jobs associated with this operation are excellent.”

LMAEDA Executive Director Chad Odom said vision and partnerships are bringing new jobs to Tallapoosa County.

“I applaud Mayor Blasingame for his leadership in bringing this building back to its highest and best use,” Odom said. “We are happy that our partnership with the Town of New Site and the Tallapoosa County Commission has resulted in 25 high paying jobs for the area. This project is a direct result of the teamwork between Mayor Blasingame and Commissioner McKelvey to work together and partner with LMAEDA to bring these jobs to the area. This announcement, along with other recent announcements, is a signal to our citizens that their leaders are actively seeking to improve the prospects for the local work force.”

Cushion Source opened a plant in a former textile building in New Site