CANTON, N.C. — As the Canton community is in the midst of parting with the town’s longtime paper mill, Governor Roy Cooper spent a day in town this weekend to show his support for local businesses there.
One of the stores on his trip downtown included Maddie’s on Main. The store has over 40 local vendors under one roof.
“I’m going to be real honest, we’ve noticed a difference in business since all this has happened,” Maddie’s on Main Owner Tammy Henry said. “So I had a moment where I’m thinking, maybe I need a plan B.”
Henry’s family has been in the area for decades. The store is named after her grandmother, and her grandfather was one of her many family members who worked at the mill, the area's largest employer.
Henry has seen Canton experience hardships in the past few years. She reflects on the flooding from Tropical Storm Fred, the pandemic and the closure of the paper mill.
While these times have been difficult for her, she said people in surrounding areas have been intentional in their support. She felt this when she received an unexpected call, following the call of the paper mill’s last whistle Wednesday.
“The phone rang, and it was the governor’s assistant, saying he would like to come today to encourage people to support and remember their local businesses,” Henry said. “I was blown away. All I could do was laugh, because he always takes care of us, and that was the encouragement that I needed in that moment.”
“There’s a ripple effect from this plant closing,” Cooper said. “A lot of small businesses had contracts with the plant. Now the plant’s gone. Some of these businesses, that was mainly who they served. There are other small businesses that support those families and their families, and many of these are downtown Canton– the restaurants, the auto mechanic, the shops here.”
Not only did Cooper express his support for Canton businesses, he also encouraged surrounding communities to spend extra time in Canton when he visited Friday.
“One of the things we wanted to do was foster the community spirit that we know is here in Western North Carolina,” Gov. Cooper said. “To encourage people from Asheville, ‘Hey! We’ve got a day. Come to Canton and go shopping, come to Canton and have some lunch and take a walk in the park.”
Henry said after what she and her peers have been through, she was amazed by what the governor’s day in Canton would bring.
“It was huge to me,” Henry said. “I couldn’t thank him enough. It was that moment of encouragement that was like, wow. That's huge, thank you. You see us.”