Hickory is a city in North Carolina in Catawba County and has a population of over 40,000 residents. In the 1850s, under a huge Hickory Tree, Henry Robinson built a tavern of logs. The city of "Hickory Tavern" was established in 1863 and the name was eventually changed to "Hickory" in 1873. In 1868, Dr. Jeremiah Ingold, pastor of the German Reformed Grace Charge, established Hickory's first school, the Free Academy. Hickory is also home to one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the United States that is still located and operated on the original site. Hickory White, formerly known as Hickory Manufacturing Company, was built in 1902 and has been in continuous operation ever since. During World War II, the factory made ammunition boxes for the U.S. Military instead of furniture. The Hickory area historically competed in new industries and technologies by applying old strengths and favorable geography to new opportunities. In this way wagon-making know-how, proximity to expansive forests, and excellent transportation via two intersecting railroads provided fertile ground for the emergence of the furniture industry. Likewise experience with textile manufacturing and easy access to power drove new industries in both fiber-optic cable and pressure sensitive tape. Currently the area is home to many leading manufacturers of furniture, fiber optic cable, and pressure sensitive tape. It is estimated 60% of the nation's furniture used to be produced within a 200-mile (320 km) radius of Hickory. Forty percent of the world's fiber optic cable is made in the Hickory area. The Hickory area is additionally marketed as a datacenter corridor and is home to large data centers operated by Apple and Google. Apple's billion-dollar datacenter campus just south of Hickory is one of the world's largest. To learn more about the history of Hickory, NC and the city's businesses visit the Hickory, NC Business Directory and Yellow Pages.
If you are planning to relocate to Hickory, NC for work or school, then Hickory is the place for you. Hickory has been named an "All-America City" three times. The All-America City Award is given annually to only ten cities in the United States. It is a very prestigious award that represents a community's ability to work together and achieve critical local issues. Hickory won this award in 2007, as well as 1967 and 1987. The Hickory Metro area has also been named the 10th best place to live and raise a family in the United States by Reader's Digest. The MSA (Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton) has been named 3rd best MSA in the country for business cost by Forbes Magazine. Hickory is home to world class education, Catawba Valley Community College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and Appalachian Center at Hickory. Hickory, NC has 3 public schools, Catawba County School, Hickory Public School, and Newton-Conover City School. Hickory is home to the Hickory Crawdads, an affiliate of baseball's Texas Rangers, in the Class-A South Atlantic League. Hickory, NC has an amazing local and international transportation system as well as a public transit that runs throughout the city. Hickory Regional Airport was served by commercial airlines until 2005. Today it remains a general aviation airport and is home to the Hickory Aviation Museum. Bus shuttle service to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport is available. The Piedmont Wagon serves Hickory, as well as Newton, and Conover. This public transit offers fixed routes, rail service, and paratransit services. To learn more about the sports, transportation, or services throughout the city, visit the Hickory, NC Business Directory and Yellow Pages.
Written by Lyndsey Morgan
