George Miles works with one of the machines, a winder, that is part of the process to create pipe filters at International Pipes and Accessories, formerly Dr. Grabow, where he has worked for 45 years. Miles is the company's only filter maker.

Miles celebrates 45 years of service to pipe factory

For the last 45 years, Alleghany native George Miles has greeted the day, and his co-workers, with a smile and positive attitude.

The 64-year-old employee of International Pipes and Accessories, makers of Grabow pipes, said he has no intention of leaving the company, where he has served as the "master filter maker" for nearly 30 years, any time soon.

"I enjoy the people here," stated Miles. "We've got some good employees, good bosses. I enjoy my job."

The son of Fred and Ruby Miles grew up in a large family, having four brothers and four sisters.

"When you had a big family back then, you worked," Miles noted, making mention that he held two jobs before joining two of his siblings at the Dr. Grabow factory at the age of 19.

When asked about his first day at Dr. Grabow, he smiled and said, "I knew a lot of people who worked here. This place was like a family. this is a family county, you know."

Offering a brief explanation of what operations take place at International Pipes, General Manager Rick Wooten said the company makes pipes, and pipe filters and distributes pipe cleaners, cigarette filters and holders.

When Miles began his job with Dr. Grabow, he spent 16 years on the sander line where he learned about how to eliminate naturally occuring flaws found in different parts of a briarwood pipe which include the top, bottom, shank and the bit.

Wooten explained, "When we have defects in a briarwood pipe, we fill it with a special patching material and then an employee sands the excess patching material off. That was the job George started with. At some point and time, he's performed all those sanding operations."

For the last 28 years, Miles has been making pipe filters. The filters are made out of a special paper, wound and bound by acetate and then cut and boxed for shipment.

In his 45 years of involvement with Dr. Grabow Pipes, Miles said he has learned "a whole lot."

He offered, "When I started out, I didn't know a thing about a pipe, I didn't know a thing about a filter. I made it my top priority to do the best job I could do on anything that came up. You learned out here on the wheels or whatever..."

When Miles began work with the filter department, there was 65 percent waste in the product.