From their base in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains the residents of Henry County, Virginia, used to live at the epicentre of the American furniture industry. For more than a century they churned out affordably-priced wood bedroom sets with names like “Vista” and “Versailles” destined for the suburban homes of a rising middle class.
Then came China and a flood of cheap furniture that made it impossible for many companies to compete unless they shifted production to Asia.
Nowadays, the industry in Henry County is a shadow of its former self and an emblem of how globalisation has hit some American communities. Its story is also Hollywood fodder: Tom Hanks has bought the film rights to Factory Man, a book about one furniture maker’s battle against overwhelming Chinese competition.