Blue Ridge Designs President Gregory Crowder praised the work ethic of these “Golden Girls” at the screen printing firm. The “Sticker Ladies” are proving the American work ethic is alive even during a time when businesses nationally are struggling to find workers. Pictured from left are Rubye Edwards, Cathie Grimes, Carol Montgomery and Sue Worrell.

David Broyles | The Carroll News

Sticker Ladies Carol Montgomery and Rubye Edwards have been friends for more than 30 years, having first met at Bassett-Walker. A group of four retirees who embody the belief of “move it or lose it” are part of a re-stickering team at Blue Ridge Designs which exceeds what a crew of more than ten used to do.

David Broyles | The Carroll News

A talented quartet of ladies past their seventies employed at Blue Ridge Designs in Hillsville is proving the American work ethic lives still, amid what has become a chronic shortage of workers nationally.

The opportunity to re-join the workforce for these retirees who re-sticker UPC hang tags for garments came about as an offer from distributors to Blue Ridge Designs to take over changing the tags…because they didn’t have enough workers to continue doing this for discount or liquidation sales they supply.

“This program started accidentally when Ms. Rubye Edwards continued to ask if she could get a job. So one day she came in right when we found out we needed to put new price stickers on labels. So we decided, heck, let’s let her do it,” said Blue Ridge Designs President Greg Crowder. “Well…she told a friend that told a friend that told a friend…and we have a whole staff now.”

This staff is commonly referred to by coworkers as “The Golden Girls” or “The Sticker Ladies.” Its members currently are Sue Worrell, Cathie Grimes, Carol Montgomery and Rubye Edwards.

“Me and the managers here talk every day about how we wished the young generation had the work ethics of these ladies! They had always worked production…in one factory or another from Hanes to Bassett-Walker. They worked in the old-time, production factories,” Crowder said. “That’s where their speed and effort comes in. It was learned there. They came in and started doing more than the younger ones. Now we are the only ones we let do this. We have to keep them from doing too many hours and on the other hand we are begging to get new help to come in now.”

Blue Ridge Designs Secretary LouAnne Crowder confirmed at one time the company had ten persons doing this type of stickering. The Golden Girls regularly outproduce that. The two said this began in the winter and when summer rolled around the sticker ladies were moved into the break room so they could benefit from air conditioning.

“They hate in when they don’t get to come in. It is a seasonal job. It only happens when NIKE, for instance, gets more shirts sold than the stickering machines they have can handle. Where it backs up they just start shipping us the work to do it,” said Crowder.

Rubye Edwards jokingly says she came to this job telling management she retired at 87 and came back to work at 88-years old. She frankly admits, “it’s an easy job and its better than sitting at home.” Worrell is a Woodlawn native and retired from Bassett-Walker and Twin County Hospital. She is a firm believer in the “move it or lose it” theory of health.

“I don’t ever stop. I went home last night…my son brought in a bucket of berries and I made 10 pints of blackberry jelly. He grows them,” said Edwards. “Last year I made 100 pints. It’s been a pretty good year this year for blackberries. They make good jelly. I can everything I can get my hands on.”

She said she loves the work at the plant, with good pay and she especially enjoys the team spirit between the Golden Girls. Worrell said they at first worked there a year-and-a half and the crew of 12 were replaced by machines.

“They had to call us back because the machines broke down. You ought to have seen some of the work that machine does,” Worrell laughed. She and co-worker Carol Montgomery began their 30-year friendship working at Bassett-Walker.

Montgomery said she spent 29 years at the firm (she began in her 20s and she is a Carroll native) and the duo hit it right off. At that time Bassett-Walker made jogging outfits.

“I’m still working because I don’t like staying home! It’s just myself and I’d rather be a-working as long as I can,” said Montgomery. “My husband has been dead for 12 years and I just don’t like staying home. It does make you feel better when you are working….it does. When we came back, they have been really good to us and that goes a long way. I think I’ve enjoyed being back more this time than I was the first time…to tell you the truth.”

She said another benefit of Blue Ridge Designs is it is located close to her home in Hillsville. Montgomery said the COVID lockdown changed her perspective some, making taking time with people more valuable.

“I done had that (COVID-19). I like to have died. It was rough. Don’t ever let anybody tell you it ain’t…it is. I had pneumonia and everything. Then I got home and broke my elbow!” said Montgomery. “I wanted to get some soup and I’m short so I had to get a chair. My feet got tangled up and it throwed me in the floor.”

Sue Worrell said the fact you can’t live very well on Social Security alone and the work at Blue Ridge Designs gives them somewhere to go and something to do.

“It gives you purpose in life. I really enjoy the work here. Like I said we have strikes against us to go anywhere else…our age our health…and our mobility. We couldn’t work anywhere else. I’m 79 years old and I can’t walk that good…hear that good. All these fast food places are hiring but you have to lift or carry. We can do what we can do here and we enjoy it. He (Crowder) created this job so we can,” Worrell said. “I met these ladies after we came here and we’ve become good friends. It’s like family now.”

Worrell said she was with the team of 12 three years ago when the re-labeling machine was brought in. She said she told Crowder she prayed for a lot of things but she prayed for the machine to break down. She agreed the pandemic lockdown had made here more fond of conversation as well, musing what scientists and physicians have learned may help us in the future.

Cathie Grimes joked that Crowder let her have a job with her fellow sticker ladies so he could keep her off the street and keep an eye on her. Her co-workers are quick to say “you have to keep an eye on her.”

“I’m still working because of a little…five…letter…word. Money! Plenty of bills. That four-letter word, bill,” said Grimes. “I’ve already retired once and I am on disability…dialysis three days a week. Those ladies over there you were talking to…I used to work with them. I worked at Bassett-Walker for 25 years.”

She noted with business closing and the struggling restaurants it is probably like the heyday of factory work in the region where you could quit one mill at lunch and find another job after you finished eating lunch. Grimes said she had noted the higher prices recently…including in restaurants (she worked for Pizza Hut Corporation for ten and a half years).

“It gives you some pep to have something to get up and go instead of just laying around. Sure…you need the money but if you just flop around…you know….if you aren’t out doing you’ll just give up or quit,” Grimes said.

LuAnne Crowder agreed the work ethic of the ladies was amazing, saying just the mindset the sticker ladies have is something special.

“If I could just take that and squeeze a little of it out and let it soak into a lot out there they’d see it’s not all about staying home. Eventually that’s going to cause you to have problems….I mean everybody loves to stay at home for a couple of weeks,” said LueAnne Crowder. “It’s part of our human nature. But after about six months….ask anybody who’s been out of work…they want to go back to work. These ladies feel like this is keeping them alive more. I appreciate their work ethic and wish we could have 100 more just like them.”

David Broyles may be reached at 276-779-4013 or on Twitter@CarrollNewsDave

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