The Story of  

Tommi Crow  

& Her  

American Dream


"Entrepreneurs embody the promise of America: the idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country. And in fulfilling this promise, entrepreneurs also play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs."

- President Barack Obama, January 31, 2011



Meet Tommi.

She lives here in Asheville, NC. About 25 years ago, Tommi was working in real estate in Texas when she came up with an idea to help agents sell homes. She took her idea to her garage.

"And so, in her garage, with hacksaw in hand, Tommi Crow made the first strikes against the white plastic PVC piping that was to become the prototype for the InfoTube�."


The InfoTube� was born. Demand increased quickly. To boost production, she launched an assembly line operated by handicapped and disabled Americans.

"In 1990, with a growing demand pressuring her, Tommi took her product to the University of Texas at Denton's Vocational and Rehabilitation Center. Here, the first InfoTube� assembly line opened and was operated exclusively by handicapped and disabled people."


Did I mention she was educated as a teacher, specifically with a degree in elementary / special education?

One day, the Home Depot called asking about InfoTube�. Success came quickly. Over the years, Tommi's company grew and eventually moved to Western North Carolina. Today, InfoTubes are built by workers at Haywood Vocational Opportunities, a non-profit organization located in Waynesville, NC. HVO employs two hundred handicapped and disabled Western North Carolinians. By the year 2014, Tommi expects to produce over a million InfoTubes per year.

That is, until recently, when Tommi received news that her product would no longer be carried at Lowe's or Home Depot. Instead, their distributor, Ohio-based The Hillman Group, chose to replace Tommi's patented products with Chinese factory replicas. This decision will effectively put Tommi and her American company out of business.



This is not the America of our past nor must it be of our future. A great idea born by the hands of an American entrepreneur must not die in the automated lines of a foreign land.


What You Can Do


SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION

We want at least 10,000 signatures to deliver to The Hillman Group:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/help-save-american-jobs/


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FOLLOW THE FIGHT

Read updates here:
http://www.infotube.net/blog/

And send a note of encouragement to Tommi:
http://www.infotube.net/contactus.php


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SEND AN EMAIL IN SUPPORT OF TOMMI CROW AND HER AMERICAN COMPANY

Dan Smercina, The Hillman Group
Dan.Smercina@hillmangroup.com   

Drew Strole, Lowe's
Drew.D.Strole@lowes.com

Bill Boltz, Home Depot
Bill_Boltz@homedepot.com

Asheville City Council (this email will send a message to all council members)
AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov

Buncombe County Commissioners
commissioner@davidgantt.com
bill.stanley@buncombecounty.org
ray.bailey@buncombecounty.org
holly.jones@buncombecounty.org
carol.peterson@buncombecounty.org

State Rep Patsy Keever
Patsy.Keever@ncleg.net

State Rep Susan Fisher
Susan.Fisher@ncleg.net

State Rep Ray Rapp
Ray.Rapp@ncleg.net

State Sen Martin Nesbitt
Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net

Governor Bev Purdue
Send a message by clicking on the following link:
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/Contact.aspx

Congressman Heath Shuler
Send a message by clicking on the following link:
https://shulerforms.house.gov/contact/

Senator Kay Hagan
Send a message by clicking on the following link:
http://hagan.senate.gov/contact/

The White House
Send a message by clicking on the following link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact


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WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Asheville Citizen-Times
letters@citizen-times.com

Mountain Xpress
letters@mountainx.com

Smoky Mountain News
info@smokymountainnews.com

Raleigh News & Observer
Submit a letter by clicking on the following link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/about/newsroom/editor/

USA Today
letters@usatoday.com


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SHARE TOMMI'S STORY ONLINE

Like the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/InfoTubenet-for-Real-Estate/270160132902?ref=ts&sk=wall

Follow on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/infotubes


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As always, thank you.


Paul
paul.choi@obamaalumni.com