Creation

The Trainer family of Chester, Pennsylvania sought to expand their already successful textile operations into the American South to bring their operations closer to the source of their raw materials.^[1] The Birmingham region appealed to them chiefly due to its wide labor pool and proximity to the abundant cotton fields of Alabama, as well as the transportation infrastructure of Birmingham that allowed for easy transport of their refined materials throughout the American south and the United States as a whole.

Southern communities, since before the Civil War, had wanted to introduce new manufacturing facilities as a means of resisting economic domination by Northern industrialists.^[2] Industry was difficult to develop in Alabama, particularly, however, due to the states deficit of navigable waterways, a relatively unstable banking system which both combined to discourage widespread investment in manufacturing facilities within the state.^[3] Alabama was at the bottom of the list in terms of textile production in southern states. In 1852, There were 40 mills in Georgia operating with 80,000 spindles; Tennessee had 30 mills with 36,000 spindles in operation; and Alabama came in last with only 12 mills and a total of 12,580 spindles.^[4] Many throughout the south advocated for the region's favorability in the textile manufacturing industries specifically because the south accounted for the vast majority, if not the entirety, of the nation's cotton production. Thus, locating textile refineries near the sources of raw materials made economic sense. The industry gained a foothold prior to the Civil War as mills began opening. In 1860, 1,312 people were employed in textile mills in Alabama. That number plummeted, however, following the war. By 1870, only 744 people were employed in textile mills.^[5]

The family contacted the Birmingham Commercial Club, that would later become the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, "...which had been organized in 1887 to encourage trade and create more economic diversification..."^[6] in the extraction focused Birmingham region. The Commercial Club agreed to invest $150,000 (~$4.5 million adjusted for inflation^[7]), and civic leader Braxton Bragg "B.B." Comer, having been recruited to serve as president of the mill, offered $10,000^[1] (~$300,000 adjusted for inflation^[8]) as an investment. B.F. Roden, owner of the Avondale Land Company, provided the land for the mill under the condition that the mill be named "Avondale Mills".^[9] Comer's experience as a banker, miller and cotton farmer^[6] made him an ideal candidate for the job. Shortly after he assumed the presidency, The Trainer family abandoned the project before the mills had even opened,^[9] and Comer bought out the family's shares and assumed majority control.^[1] Through their efforts, they created the first cotton cloth manufacturing plant in Birmingham.^[10]

Initially, financing the construction of the mills proved troublesome. With high interest rates and scarce available capital, Comer and the Birmingham Commercial Club took out loans from noted Wall Street banker DuMont Clark, and secured funding from J.M. Lewis of Talladega, Alabama who took out $100,000 in bonds for the construction of the mills.^[11]

Early years

The early days of the mill were troublesome^[12] for Comer and the other principal operators. The first sale of refined materials, placed through a designated selling agency, priced the fabric at 2¢ per yard.^[9] The program for the sale of refined cloth from the mills allowed for sales to be made through sales agents without approval or permission of the mill president. Comer demanded that the scheme be halted, and mandated that no future sales would be honored without his prior approval.^[9] The selling agents balked at his demands and called a meeting of the mills' stockholders to demand Comer's removal from office.^[9] The efforts of Frederick Jenks, of Fales and Jenks Machinery Company, kept Comer in office.^[9]

Comer's staff initially consisted of himself and two other men. Comer wrote his own letters in long-hand script and personally bought, weighed, classified and sold all of the cotton for the mills.^[9]

By 1898, Avondale Mills employed nearly 400 people as spinners, weavers and mechanics and, additionally, realized a profit of $15,000^[1] (~$450,000 adjusted for inflation^[13]). in 1906, Comer was elected Governor of Alabama, however he retained presidency of the mills. By 1907, under the management of Comer's son, Donald Comer, the mills had generated $55,000 (~$1.5 million adjusted for inflation^[14]) in profit.

The success of the Avondale Mills, and the potential tax revenue that it included, proved critical^[10] in passage of the "Greater Birmingham" movement that incorporated many of the outlying suburbs into the city limits of Birmingham. Following an earlier defeat decades before, the "Greater Birmingham" initiative came in 1911 before Governor Comer, who subsequently agreed to the majority of its provisions. Birmingham, in one fell swoop, saw its population swell to 132,685 and saw its land area increase to 48 square miles.^[15] With the passage of the bill, the city also adopted the commission style of government used until 1963. The improvements to many of the seven outlying suburbs that were incorporated into Birmingham included added transportation infrastructure, better access to social services, and increased sanitation.

Avondale Mills had a dramatic effect^[9] on the demographic landscape of Birmingham and the surrounding regions. As the price of cotton fell in the latter half of the 19th century, many Alabama farmers found themselves searching for new means of income. Avondale Mills provided steady paychecks and plentiful working hours. While typical farm labor could provide a family with $400 annually (~$10,500 adjusted for inflation^[16]), a single person working at the mills could earn up to $700 annually (~$18,500 adjusted for inflation^[17]). With the availability of work for all members of the family, income possibilities rose even more.^[1] Impoverished black and white workers flocked to the city to work in Comer's mill.

The Great Depression

Mirroring conditions throughout the United States, worker hours, production and pay rates all saw cuts during the Great Depression. In 1933, labour organizers in Birmingham began unionizing many industries in response to the downturn in conditions. Comer reiterated to Avondale employees the quality of life enjoyed at his mills. Textile workers throughout the state walked off the job 1934 to protest steep declines in wages. In the midst of this larger turmoil, however, only one shift, a night shift in July 1934, walked off the job at any of Comer's plants.^[20]

Many labor activists considered the Comers, Donald in particular, to be "the one shining light"^[27] amongst Birmingham area business owners. Noted for the "very enlightened and benevolent"^[27] programs available to workers, Avondale Mills escaped much of the labor protests characteristic of textile mills in the 1930s. Many, however, resented the paternalistic nature of the amenities afforded by Avondale.^[27]

During this time, Comer's views on child labor took on a distinctly more progressive tone. In the early 1930s, he began instituting regulations that prohibited night work for both women and children.^[20] In 1934, Comer backed an effort to institute a nationwide ban on child labor.^[20]

World War 2

During World War 2, B.B. Comer was appointed to the War Labor Board to help avoid work stoppages. As companies saw dramatically increased profits during the wartime manufacturing boom, workers throughout the United States began demanding higher wages, and, on occasion, walked off the job. To avoid this situation at his own plants, Comer instituted a profit sharing agreement with his employees wherein, by 1950, over $12 million had been shared with his 7,000 or so workers.^[20]

Profit sharing

Profit sharing incentives were introduced to nearly all employees in 1941. Employees were paid a standard wage, on top of which their share of the company's profits were added. In 1947, fully 19.7%, on average, of every employees pay check was from profit sharing income.^[28] Profits were split between the company and employees on a 50/50 share basis.^[28] A Look magazine article in 1949 described the mills as "The Plant That Runs on Happiness."^[12]

Post-war years

Donald Comer released management control of Avondale Mills to James Craig Smith Jr., who expanded the company's production facilities in Georgia and South Carolina.^[1]