Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Company moving operations to town

A local business is expanding into town, and despite popular belief, it is not M and M Enterprises.

Nothing downtown is M and M, said Mike McKenzie, part owner of the business. Instead, the work being done at two locations inside the Gurdon city limits is that of another local company, American Made Silks.

There are several similarities in the two companies which cause people confuse them, said Mark King, sole proprietor of American Made Silks. The biggest likeness is that both companies make silk trees which are sold as pieces of home or office decor. Both are also currently located on Smithton Road, just north of town, and although McKenzie helped King get started in the business and continues to work with him on projects, King says no one owns American Made Silks but him.

American Made Silks differs from M and M Enterprises in the type of tree it produces, King said. His company produces trees which are purchased by furniture stores that serve higer end customers and that cannot buy the trees in larger quantities. M and M, on the other hand, sells to large retailers such as Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

Within the next four to six weeks American Made Silks is expected to be operation in its new headquarters at the former Ford dealership on U.S. 67 just south of Main Street, King said. The building will not only be the production facility, but will also include a showroom in which new products can be shown to potential clients.

McKenzie, who has worked with King on the project, said the building has been completely renovated to accommodate the business, and plans to paint and improve the outside appearance have also been made.

A 3,600 square foot storage facility has been constructed next to the building to store inventory, King said.

The expansion will allow King to hire an additional three or four employees immediately, and he expects the companys growth to allow him to hire more in the future.

In another two years, Id say AMS will be employing quite a few people, King said.

The company has also purchased the building which previously housed Bills Dollar Store at the corner of Main and Second streets. At the present time, the building is serving as a storage location for the materials that will be used at the new American Made Silks headquarters, McKenzie said. However, once the supplies are used, McKenzie said the building will be renovated inside and out for use as a retail store. They hope the store will not only serve local buyers but will also bring in people from surrounding areas.

Wed like to help fix it up down the road, McKenzie said of the downtown area. We do have long-term plans down there.

McKenzie said they are in negotiations to purchase another downtown building as well.

American Made Silks has come a long way since it was first opened in 2000, King said. When we started we didnt have the first customer.

For several years, he said the company doubled its production each year. Although it is not still doubling, he said the business continues to grow. They now serve about 400 customers in 14 states.

The reason it grows is because it is a service-driven business, King said.

Everything that is produced is taken by company-owned truck directly to the store that ordered it unlike others in the industry which use a hired delivery service to transport their goods.

McKenzie said many of the ideas that the two have developed for use of properties in the downtown area are just one way they have chosen to give back to the community.

As warm as the people of Gurdon have been to us throughout the years, its the least we can do.