Abstract:
Asheville was the hub of Buncombe County industry. It featured no less than sixty manufacturing plants and employed more than 15,000 people. Five bottling companies were located in the greater Asheville area, including a Coca-Cola and Nehi plant. Important industries were also located outside of Asheville. Enka, located six miles west of Asheville, was home to one of the largest factories in the South, the American Enka Corporation, where workers spun rayon thread from spruce pulp. The Beacon Manufacturing Company, located in Swannanoa, produced blankets that sold worldwide.