{"id":16915,"date":"2017-05-04T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T13:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/?p=16915"},"modified":"2017-05-04T09:00:28","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T13:00:28","slug":"revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/revival\/","title":{"rendered":"Revival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div id='fullscreen_slider_1'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids=''  data-video_counter='1'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_1'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-1 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 100%;' ><li  data-controls='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_controls' data-mute='' data-loop='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_loop' data-disable-autoplay=''  class=' av-video-slide av-element-cover av-video-service-html5  av-hide-video-controls av-loop-video av-mobile-fallback-image av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  style='font-size:36px; ' class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >REVIVAL<\/h2><div class='avia-caption-content  av_inherit_color'  itemprop=\"description\"   style='font-size:18px; '><p>Breathing new life into an old industry<br \/>\nBy Paul Alongi<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class='av-click-overlay'><\/div><video class=\"avia_video\"  autoplay loop preload=\"metadata\"  controls id=\"player_16915_945556843_946877885\" >\t<source src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Revival-Header.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\" \/><\/video><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16915'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3><\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Brent Beason remembered it was a snowy day in December 2000 when he went on his first sales call, accompanying his father on a trip to a JPS Industries textile mill at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.<br \/>\nTheir company, B&amp;W Fiberglass, was a startup looking for its first big break, and Brent was a junior at Clemson.<br \/>\nWhen Brent returned to the same mill almost exactly 16 years later, he was there to buy it. The deal, which drew praise from then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, saved 57 jobs and will create 46 more over five years, Brent said.<br \/>\nSlater Mill in northern Greenville County became the eighth operating location for B&amp;W, now a global company with more than 200 employees and over 1.4 million square feet of floor space under roof. Brent, a 2003 Clemson graduate, serves as president.<br \/>\n\u201cSixteen years ago, this facility gave us a chance to scale our business,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was very special to come here and offer the people of this community and particularly this facility a second chance and an opportunity to take it into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_2'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='16952'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_2'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-2 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 69.9333333333%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/1600-Beasons-nikeffec1-1500x1049.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-2' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center caption_center_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >Earning His Stripes<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_2'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16915'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>Clemson orange runs deep in Brent and his family.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-17192\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128-471x705.jpg 471w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128.jpg 601w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>The shaggy gray North American retriever who travels just about everywhere with him is named Ford after former head football coach Danny Ford, who led the Tigers to a national championship in 1981. Brent\u2019s sister, Mitzi, was a member of the class of 1988, and her daughter has been accepted into Calhoun Honors College. Brent and his wife Blair have two girls, Anna Gray and Sadie, who, according to Brent, could spell Clemson before they could spell their own names. While Blair\u2019s name might not be on the company letterhead, Brent credits her steadfast support for much of his success.<br \/>\nBrent first became involved when he was still pursuing his mechanical engineering degree at Clemson and B&amp;W\u2019s only location was in Forest City, North Carolina. Brent and Mitzi\u2019s father, Bill Beason, is also a Clemson alumnus who graduated in 1961 and founded B&amp;W as a consulting business 30 years later.<br \/>\n\u201cI was diagnosed with prostate cancer and went to California for three months of treatment,\u201d Bill recalled. \u201cWith support and encouragement from his engineering professors, after classes each day Brent drove two hours from Clemson to North Carolina to manage the plant.<br \/>\n\u201cHe drove back to Clemson at night. He demonstrated to me at that time he was dedicated and not afraid to work.\u201d<br \/>\nAfter Brent\u2019s graduation, father and son traveled to Europe and Asia for a month\u2019s tour of glass fiber manufacturing plants. Bill introduced him to people in the industry.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI was his personal trainer in the plants,\u201d Bill said. \u201cDuring this time, Brent realized he needed to get his hands dirty and learn the technology, or he would never be successful. When we were building our first plant, he worked beside me, digging ditches, putting machines together and doing whatever was needed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWith all this as background, he has earned his stripes, and I am very proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_3'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='16953'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_3'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-3 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.7333333333%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/1600-Brent-Beason_021-1500x1001.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-3' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center caption_center_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >Taking Business to the Next Level<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_3'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16915'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>The company the Beasons have built is helping revive textile manufacturing in the United States.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The domestic industry was hammered in the 1990s when other countries began offering cheaper materials and labor. The Carolinas were hit especially hard, forcing some mills to close and leaving struggling communities in their wake. While many mills remained open, reduced employment turned them into shadows of their former selves.<br \/>\nCompanies like B&amp;W are breathing new life into the industry by sharpening their focus on advanced materials.<br \/>\nB&amp;W\u2019s operations in Shelby, North Carolina, and Manchester, England, make many variations of yarn, some of which is sent to the Slater Mill, where it is woven into a substrate and receives various technical coatings.<br \/>\nThe final products include a woven grid that assists in affixing stucco exteriors to buildings. They also include fabrics used as filtration media\/systems in coal-fired power plants, cement production facilities and carbon black manufacturing.<br \/>\n[pullquote]Some of the company\u2019s other products find their way into circuit boards, aircraft, roofing substrates, various construction materials, reinforced tape, automobiles, boats, protective apparel and architectural membranes, to name a few end applications.[\/pullquote]<br \/>\nIt\u2019s always been possible for the United States to compete with other countries, Brent said, but it requires an investment in technology.<br \/>\n\u201cYou are competing against government-subsidized foreign companies that can afford to throw 100 people who make a dollar an hour at it, and they can beat you that way,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, they can\u2019t beat automation, and they can\u2019t beat a room full of very, very smart, intellectual people who can figure out a better way to skin the cat. We invest in the mind in order to take the business to the next level.\u201d<br \/>\nBill said that while he talks daily with his son about what is going on at work, he likes to keep his mind off business and stay busy boating, fishing, exercising and spending time with Pam, his wife of over 35 years. One of his favorite activities is landscaping his yard at his Florida home. He also enjoys hanging out with his Clemson buddies and following Clemson athletics and events.<br \/>\n\u201cI put my two cents worth in, and Brent makes the final decisions,\u201d Bill said of his involvement in the company. \u201cI love the business, technology and people. I am an ol\u2019 athlete at heart. Business is like an athletic event. You have rules you follow, you keep score and either win or lose. I do not\u00a0like to lose!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_4'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-15  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='17068'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_4'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-4 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.9333333333%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_027-1-e1492781787894-1500x1004.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-4' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center caption_center_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >An investment in people and a place<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_4'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16915'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-16  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>The Beasons announced that B&amp;W Fiberglass was acquiring Slater Mill from JPS Composite Materials during a December 2016 press conference that drew several economic development officials and three members of Greenville County Council.<br \/>\n\u201cThere couldn\u2019t be a better Christmas present for this part of Greenville County than what we\u2019re celebrating here today,\u201d councilman Butch Kirven said.<br \/>\nThe announcement was a pleasant surprise for the plant and the surrounding community. A spokesman for JPS parent company, Handy &amp; Harman Ltd., had told <em>The Greenville News<\/em> in August the plant might have to close if a buyer couldn\u2019t be found.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>That buyer turned out to be B&amp;W, which created a new division as part of the acquisition. The new division, Poseidon Advanced Materials LLC, is named after the mythological Greek god of the sea who could make the Earth shake with his trident.<br \/>\n\u201cAlthough I do not believe in Greek mythology or their gods, this is the attitude we must adopt,\u201d Brent said. \u201cThe world will hear from Slater. Our best days are not past. They are yet to come.\u201d<br \/>\nA factor in the company\u2019s decision was the inland port in Greer, a facility that connects the Port of Charleston by rail to the Upstate 212 miles away. Brent said B&amp;W could boost volume at the port by as much as 6 percent.<br \/>\n\u201cWhen I got the letter that this was going to happen, I just couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d said Joe Dill, the county councilman who represents northern Greenville County. \u201cIt seemed like a month or two ago I got a letter that said, \u2018We\u2019re going to shut it down. We\u2019re going to send everybody home.\u2019 This is a good day.\u201d<br \/>\nHaley showed her support in a written statement.<br \/>\n\u201cThe investment that B&amp;W Fiberglass is making in the people of South Carolina represents a significant commitment to our state, and we couldn\u2019t be more grateful for that,\u201d Haley wrote. \u201cThe 46 new jobs this fantastic company is creating in Greenville will make a real difference in the lives of South Carolinians, and we look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the Upstate for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_5'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-20  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='16956'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_5'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-5 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 48%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/1500-Brent-Beason_154-1500x720.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-5' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_5'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16915'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-21  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-22  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>The Beasons remain connected to their alma mater. B&amp;W has hired several alumni and is persistently scouting for more. Brent is on the Board of Visitors for the University and the advisory board for the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. He also was an original sponsor of head coach Dabo Swinney\u2019s youth football camp.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Brent said higher education is positioned to play a role in the advanced materials industry by creating engineers who \u201cknow how to dream.\u201d He is always on the hunt for engineers who can converse like salesmen or, even better, have a Master of Business Administration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThere is a different way certain engineers think,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen presented with a problem \u2014 financial, technical, etcetera \u2014 they have an uncanny ability to take it in, dissect it and come back with an intelligent solution. Getting to a point where you can critically think and also critically dream, that\u2019s important. For me, I can\u2019t put a dollar value on that. I want as many of them as I can get.\u201d<br \/>\nBill said that when he first started the business, he had no idea just how big it would become. \u201cDuring the early days I kept thinking how I could pass along something to my children so that they could benefit from my work and experience,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do more business in one day now than I dreamed of doing in a year.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cOur family has been exponentially blessed,\u201d Brent added. \u201cFor that we ultimately thank God. But God doesn\u2019t hand you anything for which you aren\u2019t prepared. Without my father\u2019s years of continual sacrifice, work ethic, vision and perseverance, we wouldn\u2019t have ever gotten off the ground, and that is something I can never repay nor will forget. Even in the face of success, you cannot forget from whence you came and those who ultimately contributed to it along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-24  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_full  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-25  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_gallery  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/B7rw7Vq0Bkk' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/B7rw7Vq0Bkk\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/B7rw7Vq0Bkk<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-gallery  avia-gallery-1 avia_lazyload avia-gallery-animate avia_animate_when_visible  avia-builder-el-27  el_after_av_one_full  avia-builder-el-last '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class='avia-gallery-thumb'> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_016.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_016-495x400.jpg' class='first_thumb lightbox ' data-onclick='1' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_016-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_016' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_024.jpg' 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height='400'  title='Brent Beason_092' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_096.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_096-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='10' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_096-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_096' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_108.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_108-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='11' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_108-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_108' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_126.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_126-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='12' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_126-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_126' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128-495x400.jpg' class='first_thumb lightbox ' data-onclick='13' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_128-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_128' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_135.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_135-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='14' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_135-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_135' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_144.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_144-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='15' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_144-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_144' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_145.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_145-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='16' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/Brent-Beason_145-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Brent Beason_145' alt='' \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brent Beason first traveled to Slater Mill on a sales call with his father in 2000. In 2016, with the mill facing closure, Beason returned to purchase it, saving 57 jobs and creating new ones. His company is one of many breathing new life into the textile industry by sharpening its focus on advanced materials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[115,296,1096,1238,2087,2614,2953],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-16915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-advanced-materials","tag-bw-fiberglass","tag-engineering","tag-features-spring-2017","tag-nikki-haley","tag-slater-mill","tag-textiles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/1600-Beasons-nikeffec1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16915"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=16915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}