Former “Thread Mill” Employees Celebrate 20th Reunion

As they have for the past 20 years dozens of former employees of Coats and Clark gathered Saturday for their annual reunion at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center.

For many years, the Coats plant, or the Thread Mill as it was commonly known, was the county’s largest employer,

The plant dyed sewing threads for consumer and industrial use.

In the early 2000s, Coats closed its main manufacturing plant, but a smaller spooling and zipper packaging operation remains.

Since then, former employees gather every year for a “threadmill worker” reunion.

Saturday, former employees, many long since retired, were treated to a gourmet buffet lunch as they shared memories and stories.

Awards were given for the oldest employee and prizes were also handed out from a raffle.

Nellie Martin is now in her 90’s and attends the reunion every year.

Martin worked at the Toccoa Coats plant for over 17 years as a spooler.

She says she enjoys getting together with former coworkers she describes as family.

“It’s just happiness to be here. We just have a nice time. We got all along working together and I got long with everybody,” Martin said.

Reunion organizer Billy Chism called on those attending to remember former coworkers who have since died.

“It’s wonderful to see everyone today, but as you know over the past year many people that we worked with have passed on. I just want us to remember those who passed on,” he said.

Chism then asked those attending to observe a moment of silence on behalf of their former coworkers.

Today, some 90 employees still work the at the plant on the corner of Rose Lane and Highway 145.

At one time, Coats & Clark employed more than 1,400 employees at their Toccoa plant.