Joan’s Story

Joan began working at Drexel’s Plant 3 & 5 in 1982 and stayed for nineteen years. She spent her career in sanding and inspection, learning skills and spotting quality issues before furniture ever left the factory floor.

One of Joan’s fondest memories was the holiday season. Drexel’s savings account program let employees set aside part of each paycheck and cash it out in November, perfect timing for gift shopping. The company published a Christmas catalog for employees to order presents and every December, Joan looked forward to a holiday fruit box filled with oranges, grapefruit, and candy canes.

For Joan, Drexel wasn’t just a job—it was the foundation that helped her raise four children. Earning about $100 a day, she enjoyed financial stability that was hard to find elsewhere. When the plant closed, she struggled to find comparable work in the area.

Joan stayed on the job as long as she could. “I knew something was wrong when I saw people coming in to take pictures of the plant,” she recalls. Gradually, work slowed until the only task left was stamping the Drexel name on finished pieces. In 2001, the plant shut down for good.

Though Joan moved on, she remains grateful for her years at Drexel. The skills she learned, the friendships she made, and the financial security she gained continue to shape her life today.