All in the FREDRIX Family - Employee Spotlight

In order to share some of our company history and culture, this month we wish to share the story of one of our employees, Chad Freeman. Chad currently serves as our plant manager, a position he has held since 2021. However, he got his start in our warehouse in 2000 at the age of 19, when his mother and step-father also held roles in the plant.

Over the course of his 20+ years with our company, Chad recounts several highlights of his time in the warehouse, many of which were enhanced because of his parents’ involvement as well. He names multiple relationships that were special to him as he grew and developed in his positions. “It always felt like family,” he remembers. “We’ve always had picnics and company events that allow us to bond together outside the warehouse.”

Chad has a very approachable personality – both through his natural gifts as well as his training. He was born with the ability and desire to connect with others, and he has purposefully honed his skills in this area to enable greater camaraderie among coworkers.

When he encouraged second shift workers to bring “pot-luck dinners” for their meal times, he made sure to visit everyone and sample all the food that was brought. “I got to try all kinds of foods from around the world because of all the different cultures represented. We had Vietnamese, Cambodian, and more there. One of the great surprises I got to enjoy was chicken feet. It was chewier than I expected, but it was good!” Chad wanted everyone to feel appreciated and valued, and his investment in them during these times showed his level of care. These efforts and attention built trust and loyalty among the team.

One of the things Chad admired in all his coworkers was their high work ethic. “Tara — and now Ecker — has always attracted people who want to use their skills and grow their skills,” he reflects. While working among varied roles and people, Chad embraced the chance to learn from others. Of course, he sought to increase his knowledge about the roles and functions in the warehouse and production facility; but Chad also gleaned from personalities to help make him a stronger co-worker and leader.

“One thing I’ve always liked about my job is the chance to learn from the different cultures that work here — the people from different parts of the world and what they bring to the table. It helped me understand that each person is an individual who deserves individual attention.”

Through his 20+ years with the company, Chad has soaked up these chances to work with people from around the globe. Across the diversity of cultures, foods, and work approaches he has seen, the best part about the focus of the warehouse workers, to him, is the “unity in our purpose to build the world’s finest canvas. No matter where we come from or how long we’ve been here, we all see our job is to work together and keep producing a canvas here in the USA that can compete anywhere in the world.”

Bringing all these cultures and personalities together could be difficult. However, in Chad, fellow employees have always found a listening ear and someone they know will truly care about their ideas and suggestions. As a result, employee input at Ecker Textiles has been high, resulting in a better team and a better product.

Because Chad embraces ideas and suggestions from the team, the whole process has benefitted. “When they see us implement their ideas, they continue to bring more ideas forward. They’ve actually given us some great ideas for efficiency and innovation moving ahead.”

During his time in the receiving department, Chad worked closely with Bruce Rowan, who managed scheduling and purchasing of raw canvas at the time. If there was ever a question, Chad looked to Bruce for guidance. “Bruce taught me a great deal about this side of the business.”

When Bruce decided to retire, the company tapped Chad to add roll up and scheduling for coatings and purchasing of raw fabrics to his responsibilities in receiving. “Bruce spent about a month teaching me the specifics of what I would need to take on my new roles. He taught me how to use a loupe to count the threads and yarns and how to evaluate the quality of the fabric. It was at this time that we added the technical canvases to the artist canvases we’ve been making for more than a century, and I looked forward to the challenge that was in front of me.”

His favorite period of time was learning technical information about the textiles made in the warehouse. “Mike [Ecker] gave me opportunities to take classes on raw fabric to add to what I learned from Bruce. They sent me to the NC State Textile Engineering School, and I got to learn about how our fabrics are made, the weaving process, and the history of the textile industry.” Not only did he challenge himself to absorb new concepts and components of the industry, but he also used this knowledge to grow into his current role as plant manager.

Unfortunately, that transition came with a loss. The plant manager preceding Chad was Terrie Drummond, who worked alongside Chad over a number of years. “We had gotten to know each other after working together for a while. At one time, she went to poly-pack, and I got into coatings. Then she moved to inventory, while I stayed where I was.” During this time, Terry was also fighting cancer. “We became real close and grew to be good friends. Our families would celebrate birthdays together. When she passed, her kids asked me if I would officiate her funeral. Of course, I said ‘Yes.’ It was my pleasure.”

It was a challenge to take over the role his friend had held, but Chad gives a lot of credit to Terrie for the knowledge she passed along to him. “She taught me a lot about management skills and was a big influence on me. I learned a great deal from her about getting the most out of people.”

One of the early decisions Chad made as plant manager was to place his desk close to his team. “When I got moved to plant manager, Mike [Ecker] asked me, ‘Don’t you want an office?’” The question was logical because Chad had moved his desk out of the traditional plant manager office and put it right in the production floor. Chad responded, “No, I don’t.” He wanted the team to feel like he was available and approachable. Sitting in his office put distance between him and his team, and he wanted them to have greater access to him for any needs that arose.

Throughout his years with Tara Materials and Ecker Textiles, Chad greatly appreciates all the opportunities and support he has received. “All along the way, I took any class I could to learn. I also took every chance to learn from people. I had a great supporting cast here encouraging me to continue to grow and develop my career.”

Most of all, Chad values being a part of a team constructing a product here in the USA. “I enjoy being a part of something that is still manufactured in the US. I take a lot of pride in that.”

Though making high quality canvases is something we do every day, we never want to lose sight of the people behind the product. These people are the ones pouring ideas and innovation into what we do, and we celebrate people like Chad who encourage others to grow and contribute to the best of their ability.

We’re a better company for it, and it makes the product you buy from us is better as well.