Founded in 1887 by Samuel White in Fort Mill, South Carolina, Springs Mills has grown to become Springs Global, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of home furnishings. Locally, Springs Industries operated a 300,000 square foot facility in Biscoe. The mill closed in 2002, ending a 95-year presence in Montgomery County. While the loss of jobs and the negative impact on the local tax base hurt the county, the closing of the mill did help focus attention on the need for higher education in order to compete in the 21st-century marketplace. The scholarship today serves as a reminder of the need to change and adapt, as well as an opportunity to help facilitate that process of growth and assimilation into the new millennium’s economy.