News Flash

Mayor Joe Gibbons read and presented a resolution to Mr. John Beall, Chairman of the Fairfield Chair Company Board of Directors, and Board Member Mr. Stewart Beall during the Sept. 21, 2021, City Council meeting. The resolution thanks the company for its many contributions to Lenoir and congratulates the Beall family on the 100 year anniversary of the company. The full resolution is included below. Mayor Gibbons also gave the Bealls a framed City of Lenoir City flag.

"I want to thank you on behalf of Stewart and myself," Mr. John Beall said. "Our success has been our ability to recognize talent and to hire employees, thousands of them over the 100 years, and treat them well. We're grateful to the City for the infrastructure they provide, and the fine fire department that is really important and holds down our insurance rates. We get a lot of support from the City of Lenoir and we're very appreciative."

Fairfield Chair Company was incorporated in the City of Lenoir in 1921and all of the company’s manufacturing, warehousing, and trucking facilities are still located in the City and Caldwell County. In 1970, Fairfield Chair built the iconic civic center building on 321 to serve as the company showroom. Today, the company operates more than 500,000 square feet of production, warehousing, and display space, and Fairfield Chair is the ninth largest employer in Caldwell County.

Beall said he was also proud of what the company has accomplished, and he added that family and staff are working on their second 100 years.

Pictured from left, front row: Mr. John Beall, Mayor Gibbons, and Mr. Stewart Beall. Back row: City Councilmen Ralph Prestwood, Todd Perdue, Ike Perkins, and David Stevens. 

RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING FAIRFIELD CHAIR ON THE COMPANY’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company was incorporated by W.J. Lenoir, J.H. Beall Sr. and E.F. Allen and started operating in the City of Lenoir in 1921, and

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company headquarters and Plant 1 has operated on the corner of Harper Avenue and Beall Street NW in the City of Lenoir since its founding, and

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company built a showroom in Lenoir on US 321 in 1970, and that building still stands as an iconic piece of architecture and still serves as the community civic center; and 

WHEREAS, in 1971, Fairfield Chair Company built Plant 2 on Kincaid Circle in Lenoir thus expanding its operations, employing more residents, and adding to the local economy; and

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company expanded operations again in 1997 with the first expansion of Plant 2 and in 2007 with the second expansion of Plant 2, which added cutting and sewing departments, and

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company has been a great contributor to the local economy for one hundred years, providing jobs to local residents and sales staff across the country and globe and through purchases from local, state, national, and global suppliers, and 

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company has supported community projects, organizations, and events in the City of Lenoir and Caldwell County since its founding, providing financial and leadership support to campaigns for local hospitals, fire departments, churches, recreation facilities, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Caldwell County Schools and supporting agencies, the Chamber of Commerce, and many non-profit organizations, and 

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company helped build Lenoir’s reputation as the Furniture Capital of the South, and

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company operates more than 500,000 square feet of production, warehousing, and display space, and all the manufacturing, warehousing, and company trucking facilities are located in Lenoir and Caldwell County, 

WHEREAS, Fairfield Chair Company is the ninth largest employer in Caldwell County and has provided careers and job opportunities for thousands of local residents across ten decades, and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, Mayor Joseph L. Gibbons, on behalf of the City of Lenoir City Council and all our citizens, congratulate Fairfield Chair Company and the Beall Family on the company’s 100th Anniversary, and further, I want to thank Fairfield Chair Company and the Beall Family for working tirelessly throughout the years to keep the company prosperous, for employing so many residents, and for contributing untold amounts to the local economy.

This the 21st day of September 2021.
Joseph L. Gibbons, Mayor