August 13, 2007

Drew Brooks

SHELBY — Bob Orr, former N.C. Supreme Court justice and candidate for governor, stopped by Cleveland County Monday on a tour of the western half of the state.

While here, Orr visited Dicey Fabrics at 430 Neisler St.

Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bob Orr, left, made a stop in Cleveland County on Monday and paid a visit to Dicey Fabrics in Shelby. Here Orr speaks with Scott Neisier, former mayor of Kings Mountain who is son of the textile businesses founder.

Orr said incentives, such as those given to corporations such as Dell or Google, were unfair to local and smaller businesses.

“Policy in the state is fundamentally broken,” he said.

Instead of incentives, Orr said that if the state would provide an excellent public education system, good infrastructure and fair taxes, companies would “come here, prosper and expand.”

Scott Neisler, former mayor of Kings Mountain, is the son of Dicey’s founder.

A family-owned business, Neisler said his family has been in textiles since the Civil War, where they made both “blue and gray fabric, just to hedge our bets.”

In its 50th year, Dicey Fabric employs 75, but is limping along, he said.

Orr said the government shouldn’t turn its back on smaller businesses.

Eighty percent of jobs come from small businesses. He said they don’t get the benefits larger companies do.

“If the tax breaks go to the Googles, the Dells, the profits don’t stay,” he said. “Local businesses keep profits local."