March 1 marks a momentous and bittersweet moment for Southwire, as Linda McWhorter, the company’s longest-tenured team member, is retiring from the company after more than 63 years of dedicated service — a testament to her dedication and her appreciation for those she has worked alongside.
Linda began her career with Southwire right out of high school when the national average gas price was only 31 cents per gallon. The date was May 2, 1960, and her first role was as a file clerk.
Over the last six decades, she held multiple jobs as a quotation clerk, executive secretary and administrative assistant. Most recently, she served as a senior executive assistant to Charlie Murrah, Southwire’s executive vice president and chief supply chain officer.
“I have been tremendously fortunate to have worked with Linda most of my career. Her strong work ethic, dependability, professionalism, positive attitude, lifelong learning mindset and her deep, caring commitment to doing the things the right way set her apart,” said Murrah. “I am hard pressed to come up with anyone at Southwire who has had a more meaningful impact on me than Linda. I know many others who have come through these doors over the years that feel the same. I am so thankful for all that she has been a part of and am filled with joy knowing that she will enjoy her retirement.”
As one might imagine, Linda has witnessed many changes over the course of her career at Southwire. One of the most significant was the expansion of technology. These new advancements brought both challenges and opportunities, and Linda enjoyed getting to watch technology continue to grow and change the company.
“Going to computers from typewriters was very big. The ability to communicate via email was great, and I remember switching from doing colored presentations with a machine that used pins to circle around with different colors to presentations on PowerPoint,” said McWhorter.
Over the years, Linda’s responsibilities shifted with the various jobs she held within the business, giving her the opportunity to experience many unique aspects of Southwire and work with many different team members across the organization, including Roy Richards Sr., founder of Southwire.
“Right after the Richards’ home was built across the lake, Mr. Richards invited a group of ladies from Southwire over for lunch and a tour of the house,” said McWhorter. “We had a seated lunch with him and Margaret Braswell. During that lunch, I remember him talking about his children and their chores, but in the office, he was always busy and very professional.”
Linda attributes her tenure and success to the people with whom she’s worked over the years and the leaders who motivated her to pursue new opportunities throughout the company.
“I am very fortunate to have been with Southwire for all these years,” said McWhorter. “I love the company and the people that I have worked with. I feel very privileged to have been a part of the Southwire team and am grateful for the opportunities my career has given me.”
Please join us in congratulating Linda on more than 63 years of service to Southwire!
