It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Person County Museum of History in Roxboro, NC gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Roxboro, NC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Stephen Carlson was a tremendous help in regards to helping me find my ma placement”
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“We were in the midst of going through very difficult times as a family trying”
“We engaged this company to have a companion come sit with my mom (who is”
“Ms. Telli with Always Best Care Senior Services. Came to out home to Care for”
“BrightStar provided reliable and exceptional quality of care caregivers for our parents. Over the last”
“Steven and his crew are great to work with. They give quality care and Steven”
“During the selection process of a care facility for our loved one, and after numerous”
“Stephen Carlson made such a huge difference in our journey to finding the best place”
“Stephen went the extra mile to help my mother find an assisted living community that”
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“From the first phone call ABC has been responsive, informative and caring. Kathleen was so”
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“Stephen Carlson with Always Best Care was a tremendous help to my sister and I”
“I have so much positivity to share for this company and for my awesome rep, Stephen Carlson. This man walked me through every nuance of the process of finding an appropriate assisted living facility for my mom. He has endless patience, and tirelessly answered all my questions, and then some. I am beyond grateful for his insight and thoughtfulness during this stressful life event. Thank you Stephen- I truly couldn’t have done it without you! Amy Hill”
“Thanks Karla Dixon for being such a great asset to the community and to Always Best Care in Greensboro, NC!”
“Karla dixon is truly a great person for the community. She is compassionate and very helpful.”
“Thankfully, Stephen Carlson's name was given to me by the SNF where my aunt was sent after her hospitalization. Her insurance company cut her SNF stay short and she needed urgent AL placement. I am her closest living relative, live in a different state, and, being a physician with a mother in memory care, I am quite familiar with the medical, social, and logistical issues related to transitioning into an AL facility. But, despite having gone through it locally with my mother, I found it much different with my aunt since I was not familiar with the area (Greensboro, NC) and the AL options. After a telephone conversation with Stephen to discuss my aunt's situation and upcoming needs, he set up AL facility tours at quality places with immediate openings and provided me with a moving company that specializes in moving seniors (usually with little forewarning and small amounts of items since you can't fit much into an AL unit). Stephen attended the tours with us and was easily accessible and responsive throughout the process. As a bonus to me and my aunt, he receives a referral fee from the AL facilities, so his services cost us nothing out of pocket. If anyone in the Greensboro, NC area needs help with AL placement, it just makes sense to give Stephen a call and get his insight and assistance.”
“It’s rare to find a company where both the caregivers and the office staff are this compassionate. From day one, the admin team made us feel comfortable and confident in our decision.”
“Stephen was a tremendous help in transitioning my mom from Rehab to an Assisted Living Facility. He went “above & beyond” the call of duty to save me a great amount of time and stress.”
“Stephen Carlson was the best! He walked me thru the process of getting the best place for my loved one. He met with me and took my texts and calls any time. Highly Highly recommend Stephen and Always Best Care.”
“If you ever get Alexis on the phone, you’re in for a great experience. She’s funny, lively, and full of great energy. I actually caught myself laughing during the call, which almost never happens when calling places. Just a genuinely positive person who makes the conversation easy and enjoyable. Loved the energy! -cora”
“Stephen Carlson was a tremendous help in regards to helping me find my ma placement into the care that she needed. He went above and beyond to assist when other's have left me in the dark. Not once did he make me feel I was unable to reach out with any questions I felt I needed an answer to, and even after successfully finding a place for ma he still remained accessable if I had any further questions or concerns. Overall, he was absolutely pleasant to work with in the daunting experience this all has been. Thank you, sincerely.”
“Stephen Carlson was a tremendous help in regards to helping me find my ma placement into the care that she needed. He went above and beyond to assist when other's have left me in the dark. Not once did he make me feel I was unable to reach out with any questions I felt I needed an answer to, and even after successfully finding a place for ma he still remained accessable if I had any further questions or concerns. Overall, he was absolutely pleasant to work with in the daunting experience this all has been. Thank you, sincerely.”
“This is a challenging process no matter your affluence or resources available to you… Stephen was a bright spot in an otherwise dark and complicated landscape. I will refer everyone to him”
“We were in the midst of going through very difficult times as a family trying our best to navigate care for my dad. We began with in-home care and progressed to assisted living. Throughout this 6 week process Stephen Carlson shared his expertise, encouragement, and all the while adapting to my dad's changing needs over time, ultimately ensuring he ended up in the best location for his needs. Stephen's dedication through this complex process was well beyond the level of commitment expected. He demonstrated he is a purpose and value driven individual, always seeking the best for the individual and family he is serving. That paired with his extensive knowledge of options available and questions for families to consider going through this process made him a crucial partner. Thank you ABC and especially Stephen; you made it possible for our family to serve our loved one in this great time of need!”
“We engaged this company to have a companion come sit with my mom (who is in a facility with dementia) while we were away on vacation to give her some extra attention and socialization. Brenda is so great with my mom and now she asks for her more than us! Thank you, Brenda for being such an awesome caregiver and helping my mom feel special! You bring out the best in her and have given her a much needed spark. Brenda was such a great fit with my mom that we decided to continue having her come visit with mom even when we are in town.”
“Ms. Telli with Always Best Care Senior Services. Came to out home to Care for my mother. She was very friendly and mom enjoyed meeting her. Ms. Telli assisted with taking a shower, getting dressed and doing her hair. It was a wonderful experience. Ms. Telli had not left the driveway and mom said " I really liked her, she was so helpful". Thanks !”
“BrightStar provided reliable and exceptional quality of care caregivers for our parents. Over the last 2 1/2 years they have had consistent caregivers that provided the companionship and care that allowed the entire family to feel comfortable and secure.”
“Steven and his crew are great to work with. They give quality care and Steven is thorough in helping find the best facility for your love ones”
“During the selection process of a care facility for our loved one, and after numerous referrals to contact Stephen Carlson for help, we were able to connect with him very quickly; his responses continued to be prompt throughout our journey. Very soon, we realized that Stephen Carlson was experienced, had invaluable insight & understanding, was highly professional and operated with integrity as we began the searching for the right next home for our family member. Stephen not only brought us excellent choices that were in line with our values, needs and desires for our family member, but we immediately noticed that he was received extremely well at all the care facilities we visited and was highly respected and regarded. Stephen’s expertise brought helpful & appropriate choices to us which we were not previously aware of. Throughout the process Stephen was available and always added to our understanding of the various options that were available. His careful guidance led us without any pressure to arrive at selecting a next home that we believe offered the best fit and care for our loved one. Not feeling alone in this process with someone that we trusted was invaluable to us. Stephen's experience, skills and rapport with the providers helped bring greater insight and his personal and professional willingness to go the extra mile made a significant difference in making the inevitable challenges in the process lift. We left every encounter and conversation with Stephen more informed, encouraged and better equipped to arrive at a decision that would eventually lead us to placing our loved one in a care home that we believed offered the best fit for them. Stephen was a very credible asset to our journey, and we are so thankful we were able to work together. D and S Shelton”
“Stephen Carlson made such a huge difference in our journey to finding the best place for my mother-in-law. After he found the best place, he facilitated the transfer by putting us in touch with the right people when issues arose. He responded quickly every time. We are so pleased with the choice we made with Stephen. Our journey would’ve been a fiasco without him. I highly recommend Stephen Carlson and always best care Senior services.”
“Stephen went the extra mile to help my mother find an assisted living community that met all of her expectations. He's very familiar with senior living in the Triad area and his expertise saved us the time and expense of searching on our own. On top of that, he was so pleasant and helpful throughout the process. Highly recommend Stephan for assistance with senior care.”
“Stephen was focused, responsive, and led with knowledge and experience. If he had not been available , I would not have known about an option that has turned out to be exactly what my husband needed. I am grateful, and believe he does the same for others. Old school caring with a wealth of knowledge is brought to bear for your needs and the decisions are yours. Please know I am rarely impressed- but he earned it.”
“From the first phone call ABC has been responsive, informative and caring. Kathleen was so patient and understanding when answering my family’s questions and concerns about dad’s dementia. I appreciated her honest information delivered with compassion and respect. Leslie has been so supportive through the entire process. Don’t hesitate to call for help with your loved one”
“I couldn't be happier with the help of Stephen Carlson. He helped move my mom from a really bad situation to a really great one. Our first phone conversation he said "you are going to have to trust me." And I'm so glad I did. He told me that the place he thought best for my mom was maybe might not the most convenient but he knew how caring and loving the environment would be. I'd much rather be inconvenienced than have my mom treated poorly. So I trusted him and we are forever grateful! He gave me the 1st hand information on much closer places and still thought this farther away place would be the best scenario. He reassured me that no matter where we did move her to, we could always update him on how things were going. And he takes that information into consideration for all his clients and that's how he knows the scoop! I believe the families he works with trust him because he is honest and open. People report back to him the necessary details so he knows where and where not to suggest to his clients. My mom was in a facility we were really unhappy with. After going to the hospital and speaking with a social worker, she suggested I speak with Stephen and assured me he would help us find a better situation. My mom has Alzheimer's so she can not advocate for herself. Aside from having family to help her navigate this, we really needed someone who knew where we could trust her being taken care of properly. I feel like he made this transition from awful to wonderful so easy and removed the stress from our lives in a pretty stressful time. He was so fast and accommodating. I will absolutely pass his name on to any and everyone in the future. He continues to check in with me and my mom and I couldn't love him more. Thank you Stephen! Thank you Always Best Care Senior Services for doing what you do!”
“We had the pleasure of being introduced to Stephen Carlson from a referring social worker and from the moment we spoke we knew we were in excellent hands. Stephen is diligent, communicative, efficient, compassionate, and a true professional. He went above and beyond investigating our needs for our elderly relative and stayed in contact over the Christmas period to ensure we were happy. I would highly recommend Stephen and his team; Always Best Care is a rare godsend in times of need and uncertainty when it comes to placement for your elderly loved one. Thank you Stephen for everything. We truly appreciate you!”
“I hired these folks on a recommendation from the assisted living facility where my Mom lives, to facilitate Mom’s attendance at our family Christmas party on Christmas Day. The contracting was seamless and the aide who signed up, Serenity, was great. She was on-time, brought all the paraphernalia we requested for Mom’s safety and comfort, made the 80 mile round trip without a hitch, and provided Mom with nearly invisible, but reassuring care at our party. Thank you to all!”
“Stephen Carlson with Always Best Care was a tremendous help to my sister and I when seeking out assisted living communities for our Mother. Stephen helped ease our anxieties by setting up tours for us, answering the many questions that we had, and guiding us through the process. I give Stephen the highest recommendation if you are considering qualify senior living facilities for your loved one!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Huck Sansbury Recreation Complex in Roxboro, NC with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Brookland Eats or visit Person County Visitors Center, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Roxboro, NC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Roxboro, NC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Roxboro, NC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
At a Glance:ROXBORO, N.C. — When manufacturers announce a major expansion, the story is usually told in numbers: Dollars invested. Square footage added. Jobs promised.But buildings don’t operate machinery. Incentive packages can’t run extrusion lines. And hiring hundreds of people in a community where a company has never operated takes more than posting a few help-wanted ads.It takes a workforce. And that takes some doing.When Polywood decided in 2018 to expand beyond its longtime home...
ROXBORO, N.C. — When manufacturers announce a major expansion, the story is usually told in numbers: Dollars invested. Square footage added. Jobs promised.
But buildings don’t operate machinery. Incentive packages can’t run extrusion lines. And hiring hundreds of people in a community where a company has never operated takes more than posting a few help-wanted ads.
It takes a workforce. And that takes some doing.
When Polywood decided in 2018 to expand beyond its longtime home in Syracuse, Ind., and establish a manufacturing and distribution operation in North Carolina, the outdoor furniture producer had an attractive building, an ambitious growth plan and a community eager to welcome it.
What it lacked was an established local workforce or an employee on the ground to begin building one.
That is where Piedmont Community College and the North Carolina Community College System’s NCEdge Customized Training program entered the picture.
The partnership helped Polywood grow from an initial workforce of 16 people to more than 800 employees, according to Ryan Zimmerman, vice president of human resources. The company’s Roxboro campus has also grown from approximately 500,000 square feet to nearly 1 million square feet.
Today, Zimmerman said, Polywood is the largest employer in Person County.
Those numbers make the expansion impressive. How the company reached them may be even more important.
Polywood manufactures outdoor furniture using lumber made from recycled high-density polyethylene plastic. At the Roxboro campus, post-consumer material is processed and extruded into Polywood lumber.
That material then moves into furniture production, where CNC equipment, robotics and employees cut, machine and partially assemble the products before they are shipped directly to customers.
Building that operation required Polywood to recruit and train people for jobs and processes that were not necessarily common in the immediate area.
Zimmerman said North Carolina attracted the company partly because of the building available in Roxboro and the growth opportunities surrounding it. But the willingness of the community and state workforce organizations to become active partners helped separate North Carolina from other possibilities.
“We saw the partnership come together as we were starting to have conversations,” Zimmerman said. “The way the state of North Carolina works with the colleges, in partnership with businesses, is like we haven’t experienced in Indiana.”
That model is built around NCEdge Customized Training, the state’s workforce training incentive administered through the North Carolina Community College System.
Sara Lloyd, regional director for NCEdge Customized Training, said the program differs from incentives that simply provide a company with money and leave it to find and purchase training on its own.
“We didn’t just give Polywood a check and say, ‘Here’s some money from the state. Go find some training,’” Lloyd said.
Instead, NCEdge funding is used through local community colleges to identify what a company needs, develop the training and connect the employer with additional workforce resources.
In Polywood’s case, Piedmont Community College became the local partner responsible for helping turn a manufacturing plan into an operating workforce. The first challenge was recruiting.
When Polywood began accepting applications, Zimmerman said the company received hundreds of responses. But it had no established human resources staff at the Roxboro location to screen applicants, evaluate skills or organize the initial hiring process.
Piedmont Community College helped fill that gap.
Jody Blackwell, dean of technical & manufacturing programs at the college, said PCC assisted with recruiting, WorkKeys assessments and applicant screening. By the time candidates met with Polywood, the company had organized information and test results it could use to make hiring decisions.
“We brought people into the room, and they had their WorkKeys scores and everything ready to go,” Blackwell said. “Polywood could interview them.”
For Zimmerman, the arrangement required trust.
Polywood generally handles its recruiting internally and makes limited use of outside recruiters or contract labor. In Roxboro, however, the company needed a local partner capable of understanding the positions, identifying the necessary skills and screening applicants accordingly.
“We had to build the trust with the college that they were screening the way we wanted them to screen and filtering people into the positions and skill sets we were looking for,” Zimmerman said.
That relationship became particularly important during the first six months, when Zimmerman and Blackwell sometimes spoke almost daily.
But hiring the initial workforce was only the beginning.
As Polywood’s Roxboro operation grew, the role of Piedmont Community College and NCEdge grew with it.
What began with recruiting and WorkKeys testing expanded into forklift instruction, maintenance training, leadership development and technical programs supporting robotics and other advanced manufacturing equipment.
When Polywood added extrusion operations, the company needed employees with a skill set that was not widely available in Person County. The partnership helped connect Polywood with the Polymers Center in Charlotte for specialized plastics and extrusion training.
“The relationship went from assisting with the hiring process to more in-depth technical training,” Blackwell said. “We customize it to their needs.”
That is the key word: customize.
The college was not attempting to fit Polywood into an existing, off-the-shelf training program. As the company’s equipment, processes and workforce needs changed, the training changed with them.
The approach also allowed Polywood to develop much of its management and technical talent from within.
Zimmerman said a significant number of employees hired during the company’s first year in Roxboro remain with the company. “We’ve got a large population that we hired in the first year that is still there,” he said. “They’ve moved up into more leadership roles, and we’ve taken the training the college provided and developed it internally for the betterment of the company.”
That ability to create career paths has been especially important in a rural market.
Lloyd said the success of customized training cannot always be captured by simply counting the number of employees trained or the number of classroom hours delivered. The more meaningful measurement is what happens afterward.
In Person County, that means people finding careers close to home, developing new skills, moving into higher-paying positions and seeing manufacturing as a profession with room for advancement.
“The metrics don’t tell the whole story,” Lloyd said. “It is the impact on the company, the employees and the community.”
Blackwell sees that impact from two perspectives: as a college administrator responsible for workforce development and as a member of the Person County community.
Polywood’s growth has created jobs paying livable wages while giving local residents opportunities that might otherwise have required leaving the area.
“When they are providing great, livable wages, it changes people’s lives,” Blackwell said. “That is exactly our college mission. Polywood fit into the college mission of changing and transforming lives.”
The relationship has not been one-sided.
Blackwell said Polywood employees have participated in college panels, assisted with student interviews and supported work-based learning opportunities. The company has contributed products to college events and helped PCC connect students in industrial systems, mechatronics and other technical programs with real manufacturing careers.
Even seemingly small requests demonstrate the depth of the relationship.
When Polywood wanted food and dessert trucks for an employee appreciation event, company representatives called Blackwell. Because PCC is rooted in the community, the college knew whom to contact.
That may sound far removed from workforce training, but it illustrates what Lloyd and Blackwell say makes the system work. The college does not disappear after a class ends or the initial group of employees is hired. It remains available as the company and community grow together.
Zimmerman believes that support contributed directly to Polywood’s ability to expand so rapidly.
“If we didn’t see success in building out this location and getting the resources we did through this partnership, I don’t know that we would have grown this rapidly,” he said. “Going from zero to over 800 employees in six or seven years is pretty significant. A lot of companies don’t experience that over a lifetime.”
His advice to other companies considering a North Carolina expansion is equally direct: Find out what workforce resources are available and do not assume everything must be handled internally.
“It is understanding what your resources are, determining how you can leverage those resources and not being afraid not to do it on your own,” Zimmerman said.
For the furniture industry, the Polywood story offers a lesson that extends beyond one company or one North Carolina county.
Manufacturing expansions are often treated as real estate and capital investment projects. But buying a building and installing equipment may be the relatively easy part. The harder job is finding people, teaching new skills, developing supervisors, retaining employees and creating a workforce capable of growing with the operation.
Polywood brought the product, processes, investment and opportunity. NCEdge brought the statewide training structure and funding. Piedmont Community College brought local knowledge, recruiting assistance, technical training and a continuing presence in the community.
Together, they created something none of the three could have built as effectively alone.
The lesson is simple: Square footage can be bought. Machinery can be installed. Incentives can help close the deal.
But none of those things builds a successful operation; people do.
And when a company and a community are supported by a local college and a statewide workforce partner such as NCEdge, they do more than create jobs. They create opportunity, stability and a future that can be shared.
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