Many readers will remember the Holcombe Funeral Home, located on Two and a Half Street, at the current location of the Dean Kriner Funeral Home. P. J. Holcombe, Dushore, a man we'll identify as "Si" in this article in order to have some uniformity, bought the Chapin Funeral Home from Ivin S. Chapin about 1947, and began doing business as the Holcombe Funeral Home. Si Holcombe remained in business in Benton until 1965.

The Holcombe family had an excellent reputation in the undertaking business at their Dushore funeral parlor, where the family maintained a "motor hearse" and other modern-funeral equipment. The eventual move to Benton by Si to open a funeral parlor was openly welcomed in the local area.

We'll revisit the Holcombe family as they are today, but first we'll head back to 1898 when Vell Burr Holcombe, a native of Bradford County who lived in Dushore, began his career of providing American craftsmanship and service by opening and serving as the Chairman of the Board of the Holcombe Furniture and Undertaking. V. B. Holcombe was joined in 1934 by his three sons, Pierson (Si), Vell and Richard Holcombe. The store provided complete furnishings for homes. (V.B. also had a daughter, Pauline, a naturalist, high-school teacher in Mansfield, Canton and Towanda and principal of Dushore High School. Learn more about Pauline and the entire Holcombe family by going here). The store also sold Frigidaire electric refrigerators. The company reorganized under the name V.B. Holcombe and Sons. V. B. Holcombe was also chairman of the Dushore Furniture Manufacturing Company, which was established in 1928 in a former silk-mill building. Si Holcombe became its secretary.

Si and Richard L. ("Dick," now 93) Holcombe on the left and right, with Vell B. in the center of the picture.
All are standing in front of the Holcombe Furniture store, Dushore. The year is believed to be 1934.

Picture courtesy of Pierson Holcombe, Advance, North Carolina

V. B. represented Sullivan County as assemblyman in the State Legislature from 1921 to 1933 and had a long history of working for the public welfare. Sullivan County can thank the number of improved roads in the county to V. B. Holcombe.

V. B. and Jennie Holcombe

Picture courtesy of the excellent Endless Mountains web site here
and used with the permission of Robert Sweeney.

As time passed, American manufacturers have dwindled and inexpensive overseas imports have flooded the US marketplace. The price of this shift has been the loss of American jobs, the loss of quality products and the loss of patriotic pride in purchasing habits.

Four male Holcombe cousins (Two brothers and one sister of Si Holcombe each had two girls and one boy) own a third-party logistics business in the outdoor-, sports-, and casual-apparel market. The company is now seeking to establish their own catalog business with the central theme being all products and materials entirely "Made in the USA." The quality levels will target the high end of the market. A good example is of the target market is seen by going to www.jlpowellusa.com, one of their current customers. This company however buys its products from all over the world.

The hunger for durable, well-crafted, American-made products still remains strong. Companies continue to outsource their manufacturing. The challenge is finding "Made in America" merchandise. And that is the void that V.B. Holcombe and Sons hope to fill. V.B.’s four grandsons have restored the family tradition to bring back to America what America does best. Made in USA means a product contains no–or negligible–foreign content. And that’s what V.B Holcombe and Sons promises in every product they sell. Every fabric. Every button. Every nut and bolt.

The company seems to have found the best that America has to offer. Apparel. Home furnishings. Luggage. Pet supplies. Eco-friendly items made from organic cottons, bamboo and reclaimed timber.

V.B. Holcombe and Sons will primarily sell to the consumer through direct mail catalogs, e-commerce and a retail location known as the Birch Creek Store (570 928-2050) in the former Endicott Johnson Shoe Factory, Mildred, in a brick building owned by "The Holcombe Group." The target audience has been identified as middle- and upper-class men and women 35+ years of age who live in the fly-over states, small towns and midsized cities of America. They are American-born citizens who are patriots and/or veterans. They are the union workers, the self-employed entrepreneurs and the managers of our businesses. They are the men and women who have taken advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by the freedoms of this country.

V.B. Holcombe and Sons plan that a portion of the distribution of their products will be made available through wholesale channels, utilizing the V.B. Holcombe and Sons name as the "Mark of Authenticity" for "Made in USA" products.

We'll tell you more about this ambitious company in coming weeks.