State singles out three area companies for its 'Lantern Award,' a top honor given annually to a manufacturer in each of the state's eight planning districts

District 2 - Double B Textiles, Franklinton
By ELLYN TONEY
Special to The Advocate
In a way, the Box family of Franklinton was answering a call to public duty when it started its Double B Textiles company in 1993.

When a previous textile company went out of business, the town of Franklinton, which had funded the enterprise with grant money, was left with an empty building and idle equipment.

The town turned to Melvin Box Sr., who owned a T-shirt distribution company in Franklinton, where his two sons, Melvin Jr., 38, and Mickey, 37, also worked.

The town wanted to know if the Box family would be interested in moving from distributing T-shirts to making them, picking up the rest of the grant money and making use of the roughly 6,000-square-foot building where the former garment plant had been.

The Boxes said 'yes,' and Double B Textiles was formed, with the two Box sons as owners, and their father serving as consultant. Mickey Box is president of the company and Melvin Box Jr. is vice president and treasurer

"We went out on a limb, and I think they did, too," said W. Houston Magee, who serves on the board of aldermen with the town of Franklinton.

"I really think it's been a success," Magee said of the Double B company.

The effort paid off recently with Double B Textiles being named a winner of a "1997 Lantern Award" for manufacturers by the state Department of Economic Development.

The company won in District 2 of the state's eight planning districts, which is the district that includes Baton Rouge.

Double B Textiles makes aprons, tote bags, T-shirts, sweat shirts, tank tops and pot holders.