Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) has been providing meaningful employment for special needs adults since 1966. It began as a project of the Jaycees under the direction of Sue Davis, and with support from county commissioners Bill Ives and John Folger. Operations began by making product packaging and reclaiming boxes for recycling.

The Sheltered Workshop, as it was originally named, was immediately successful, and they were accepted as a beneficiary of United Way later that year to ensure enduring success. United Way, though no longer operating in Transylvania County, was a charitable partnership organization that ensured community funds have more impact by centralizing operations.

In 1967 Dr. James H. Sanders allowed the Sheltered Workshop to utilize his property at 204 East Main Street rent-free. Two years later in 1969, the group moved to 36 West Probart Street at the former Citizens Telephone Company exchange building. The group began to increase their offerings to the community, adding lawn care services and other off-site labor.

Transylvania County government took on the Sheltered Workshop as a supported county program in 1972, changing the name to Transylvania Workshop and moving to a new location near Mickey Park subdivision near the Old Tannery site on Cashiers Valley Road. Director Erika Shriner led the way as the group continued to thrive.

Nancy Stricker took on the role of director in 1974 and was a constant source of leadership for the next 42 years. Under her guidance, the name was changed to Transylvania Vocational Services.

TVS moved again to operate on the lower level of what is currently the Tax Administration building at 101 East Morgan Street in 1977. As the 1970s progressed, TVS worked contractually with DuPont to assemble boxes for x-ray film and Olin to reclaim cellophane for packaging.

TVS moved to 33 McLean Road on the site of Keir Manufacturing in 1980. These facilities had much more space and allowed even more expansion of their goods and services. Their commercial kitchen became the production site for Aunt Lou’s Candies, an entrepreneurial idea of Louella Ledford Nicholson. They used Aunt Lou’s recipes to create chocolate confectionery to sell in local shops, especially during the holiday season.

1988 was a major turning point for TVS when leadership made the decision to leave the status of being a county-supported nonprofit behind to become a private nonprofit entity. This change allowed the group to seek out business contracts instead of relying on federal funding and grants. This self-reliance also meant more stability for TVS, which had moved so many times over the years due to reliance on outside funding.

Another advantage of becoming a private nonprofit is that there were fewer regulations about the type of economic activity that the group could engage in, allowing them to create a warehouse division and expand their offerings even more. By the late 1980s TVS had a woodworking shop and was constructing wooden pallets for DuPont and Olin industries.

The 1990s were a prosperous time and TVS continued to expand, acquiring the Blue Ridge Door Company and diversifying to find even more partnerships in industry. By this time, the group provided services including Adult Day Care facilities, temporary jobs and job placement, bulk mailing services, and janitorial work.

A new facility was built in 2000 on the Old Hendersonville Highway, where it still is located today. A significant donation from Charles Pickelsimer along with Congressman Charles Taylor’s ability to procure federally backed funds supported the new construction.

As the community began to see the writing on the wall for the impending closure of local DuPont and Olin plants, TVS looked to other sources for contracts to ensure their longevity. Charles Taylor came through again and leveraged his federal connections to win a USDA contract for TVS to produce nonfat dry milk. The same technology allowed them to make instant rice pudding and other food products.

Greater food packaging capabilities meant the development of the in-house brand “Mountain Maid” featuring baking mixes and packaged nuts, which launched in 2011. They continue to pursue partnerships with local manufacturers, adding Gaia Herbs’ dry packaging to their work. TVS also made “roll stock” food-safe plastic sheeting that was purchased for the New Excelsior food packaging plant.

By 2016 when Nancy Stricker retired from TVS, she had been a major force in its success and development. She had this to say: “I had incredibly wonderful parents who raised me to believe that you should always be willing to share, that you treat all people the way you want to be treated. This is what I always intended to do. I believe we have a responsibility to the least among us.”

Although TVS no longer limits employment opportunities to special needs adults, that is still a core part of the ethic of the nonprofit, which has served Transylvanians for nearly 60 years. With their rebranding, they now become ALULA but remain an important economic driver.

Photos and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Laura Sperry, Local History Librarian. Sources available upon request.