Founded in 1983 by Charles E. Cox, Cox Interiors Inc. once had the employee base of three individuals. The company produces interior trim, molded doors, interior and exterior wood doors, stair parts, and mantels for new and current homes in nearly six states. The manufacturing hub of Cox Interiors Inc. is located in Campbellsville, Ky., on a 105-acre site. Cox Interiors Inc. manufactures everything themselves and imports none of their products. Cox Interiors Inc. President Grant Cox, grandson of Charles Cox, oversees the company as it looks to survive the present economic downfall. “When we got into this business, the building business was taking off after the recession in the early eighties,” Cox said. “But now, we’re just in survival mode.” After a fire in 1991 at their original Campbellsville location that nearly wiped out everything, Cox Interiors Inc. could have thrown in the towel there. The following year after rebuilding, the company was up to 300 employees. Cox Interiors Inc. reached its peak in 2007. The company had about 900 employees and brought in $101,000,000 in sales. That year was by far the best year in the company’s history, but a devastating 2008 loomed around the corner. “At a company like ours,” Cox said, “we were used to seeing things go up every year.” In 2008, Cox Interiors Inc. produced only $74,000,000 in sales and laid off nearly 450 employees. According to Cox, when that many jobs are being cut at the biggest employer in the Campbellsville area, the effects it has on people are dramatic. “In January 2008 when we started seeing things go downhill, we just kept saying ‘next month will get better,’” Cox said. Not until November 2008 did the company make drastic cuts. They cut all employee salaries and some even took a three-month freeze of their salary. “We waited a year too late to make the cutbacks we needed,” Cox said. Cox said the event that began to hurt them was when gas broke the $4 per gallon barrier. Not only did potential customers restrict excess spending, the cost to fill up about 100 tractor trailers took a huge hit into the company’s budget. “Our hope, to be honest, is to stay in business,” Cox said. “Our main necessity to stay in business is for people to start building houses again.” Cox hopes President Obama’s stimulus plan will give people hope and trust in the American economy and they will start spending again.