PAWs: One of My Proudest Moments

PAWS: One of My Proudest Moments

“Their only advantage is labor. We need to become more efficient. If we can improve our efficiency the equivalent of one American job, they’d have to cut 17. And they can’t do it.”

Those were the words that changed everything. Spoken by John D. Bassett III during one of our most uncertain times, they sparked a fire in our team that led to one of the proudest achievements of my career: the creation of the PAWS incentive program.

But PAWS didn’t just come out of that moment. It came to life because of one man—Mike DeHart, our VP of Manufacturing in Elkin, NC. Mike was the architect of PAWS. He didn’t just design the program—he built it from the ground up with creativity, strategy, and an elite understanding of how furniture was made and how people worked.

Without Mike, PAWS would have never happened. His vision and leadership turned an idea into a movement.

This blog isn’t just about an HR initiative—it’s about a fight for American jobs, a culture of grit, and what’s possible when leadership believes in its people—and when someone like Mike DeHart steps up to lead the way.

A Fight for American Jobs

Our President and CEO, John D. Bassett III, made a bold, values-driven decision: we would not import. We would stay true to our identity as an American manufacturing company—because our employees needed their jobs.

At the time, Chinese manufacturers were selling bedroom furniture in U.S. markets for less than our raw material costs. John told us plainly: “They can hire 17 production workers for the cost of one American worker.”

Most of our competitors were offshoring operations. But not us. John chose to fight back.

Setting the Stage

He founded the American Furniture Manufacturers Coalition for Legal Trade, bringing together former competitors, raw material suppliers, and industry leaders who believed in keeping bedroom furniture made in the U.S.

He hired a top Washington, D.C. law firm and filed a claim with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, arguing that China was illegally dumping furniture—selling it below cost to destabilize our market.

The move fractured the industry. Many U.S.-based companies were content with imports, even if it meant sending an unspoken message to their workforce: "Eventually, your job will be gone."

My personal take? Manufacturing furniture is hard. Importing was easier and cheaper. Many industry execs embraced that shift—they didn’t want to build anymore. But we still believed in making things the right way.

The Turning Point

Even with the legal fight underway, morale at the plant was low. Everyone knew what we were up against.

Then came a turning point I’ll never forget.

John stood before the entire plant and laid it out: what we were facing, what we were going to do about it—and how we were about to launch the “Barnburner” suites at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC.

These suites were sold at cost. The goal? Keep the plant running at 40 hours and keep our people working.

My friend and co-worker Brad Dillon described that moment best:

“Getting the buy-in from the floor. I remember before the release of the first Barnburner suites at market. He met with the entire plant. Explained the vision. We can stay on slow time or we can go back to full time—but the run rates will be aggressive to compete in this price range!! We grabbed it and ran like H&$l. Epic times! Epic motivator!”

It wasn’t just about staying afloat anymore. It became a mission. And that’s when PAWS was born.

Introducing PAWS

PAWS was more than a program—it was a rally cry. A simple, powerful acronym with layered meaning, created and engineered by Mike DeHart:

• Proud American Workers

• Paid American Wages

• Producing the American Way

• Preserving the American Workforce

• People Always Working Safely

It gave us a framework. A language. A mission.

The Plan

We built a comprehensive strategy and kept is simple:

• Communication: We kicked things off with department lunch meetings to set expectations and gain alignment.

• Listening: Department-based feedback sessions surfaced real obstacles and frontline ideas.

• Involvement: Suggestion systems were put in place—and we acted fast.

• Training: Weekly sessions for supervisors and managers. Mike tackled technical and process improvement; I handled leadership and people skills.

• Transparency: Daily updates in both English and Spanish. Visual scoreboards. Flags raised at the gate to show our status.

The Incentive

We rewarded both weekly and monthly performance, tied directly to quality and output. Low-quality units were deducted. Speed alone wasn’t enough—excellence was the standard.

Performance levels translated into real dollars:

• Platinum – 15% bonus

• Gold – 10%

• Silver – 7%

• Green – 5%

• Red – 0%

If the team produced at Platinum, the Platinum flag flew. If we were behind, the Red flag went up. Everyone knew the score. And everyone knew their role.

The Results

PAWS didn’t just work—it changed the culture.

One Friday afternoon, we were just a few units shy of hitting the next incentive tier. A dozen employees, already clocked out, jumped back on the line and knocked out the remaining units.

Sure, they got paid. But that’s not why they did it. They wanted to. They were engaged. They were proud.

The Ending

Eventually, the Elkin plant closed—not because of failure, but because of market saturation and collapsing demand for American-made bedroom furniture. It was one of the hardest days of my career. I loved that place, and I loved those people.

In hindsight, had we launched PAWS just 18 months earlier, we might’ve saved the plant. But even so—I’ll always say:

Our plant won. And PAWS was a resounding success.