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The
Hinkle Chair Company
For five generations, the Hinkle
family has been making ladder back chairs in Springfield,
Tennessee. The first Hinkle to come to this community in north
middle Tennessee was Andrew Hinkle, who moved from Virginia more
than 160 years ago. Andrew Hinkle and his son, Henry, began the
groundwork for what we know today as Hinkle Chair Company Inc. by
hand carving chair frames during the summer months. Then during the
harsh winter months, the whole family helped to put the seats on
the chairs.
Originally a farm family, the family gave up farming in 1932 and
began full-time chair production. William Hinkle, Sr. bought the
business from his father, Willie B., after returning from World War
II in 1946. At that time, the chairs were made in a tobacco barn
and in a small country grocery store.
By 1948, William Hinkle, Sr. had sixteen full-time employees
producing 200 chairs per day. And the operations had expanded from
the tobacco barn to two buildings that were used exclusively for
chair manufacturing.
In 1990, the three children of William Sr. took over and now run
the family business. The Hinkle Chair Company now employs over 120
people who assemble more than 800 chairs per day.
The current owners, William Hinkle, Jr., Jeff Hinkle, and Diane
Hinkle Johnson continue to operate the business with the same
dedication to quality and craftsmanship as the four previous
generations.
Nick Simulia of Cracker Barrel Corporate has approved this
geocache. However, not all employee's are in the 'loop', which
makes them muggles too! Use standard discretion when hunting this
geocache and be sure to leave the 'scene' hidden better than you
found it! |