CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After graduating high school, Carl Najera founded his company, South Carolina Longleaf Pine Needles, with a focus on supporting immigrant workers.

What You Need To Know

  • If you are going to buy longleaf pine, check the bundles for debris

  • When buying longleaf pine, Najera suggests checking the weight of the bundles and not just their dimensions

  • He also says to shop around and check out different sources to make sure you get the best price

“When my guys work for me, I give them everything I can so that they know they can make a living wage and support their families,” Najera said.

Najera is an immigrant himself, who spent years working toward American citizenship and committing to his family life.

“I wanted three things. I want to own my own business, I want to be the best father, because I never had one, and I want to be the best ‘boss-man,’ that's what everybody says, as possible,” Najera added.

Najera has around a dozen year long employees and hires another 25 to 30 people during the height of the longleaf pine needle season. Najera said larger companies use machines instead of people to gather and bundle their longleaf pine straw, which means they can charge less.

Najera said even though he could lose money he will continue to hire people to rake and pack longleaf pine by hand.