Meet Our Successes

Lowe's Home Improvement – Founded in 1946, Lowe's has grown from a small hardware store in North Wilkesboro to the second largest home improvement retailer worldwide and the seventh largest retailer in the U.S. Ranked #201 on the 2008 Forbes 2000 list, Lowe's currently employs more than 2,000 workers in Wilkes County.

Tyson Foods – Tyson Foods began in Wilkes County as Holly Farms, a family-owned business that grew into the third largest poultry firm in the nation. Tyson purchased Holly Farms in 1989, and since then the food processing facility located in Wilkesboro has become one of the most efficient and highest-producing of all Tyson's food processing facilities. Tyson is Wilkes County's largest employer, with more than 2,700 direct employees. In addition, nearly 900 independent growers in the Wilkes County region supply Tyson.

Gardner Glass – Founded in 1962 by Edd Gardner and has grown to become an industry leader in the manufacturing of mirror and glass products. Today, Gardner Glass has two manufacturing facilities and six distribution centers located across the United States. The company has set an industry standard for quality workmanship and innovation.

Key City Furniture – Key City Furniture Company, located in Wilkesboro with manufacturing facilities in both Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro, is a true Wilkes County success story. From its modest roots in the early 1900's, Key City has grown to become an international success. In an age where much of the furniture in the United States is imported from foreign countries, Key City Furniture has become an international exporter of furniture, due in part to it high quality and total commitment to customer service. Key City Furniture manufactures and sells high-end upholstered furniture and occasional pieces to some of the world's most discerning buyers, particularly in the United States and Canada, and to a growing Middle East market.

CompuCredit – CompuCredit is one of Wilkes County's newest businesses, with its local credit card service center operating in Wilkesboro since 2002. Though a new business, it has been a rising star in Wilkes County, now employing more than 400. In 2005, CompuCredit was ranked the 47th fastest-growing business in the United States by Forbes Magazine, led by the Wilkesboro branch, which has consistently been the top-performing service center in the corporation.  CompuCredit attributes the success of its Wilkes County location to its employees, describing them as being "extremely reliable, productive, and loyal, as evidenced in [their] low turn-over rates."