Every month, we will be highlighting one of our wonderful community partners! Our goal is to highlight the history of their organizations, and showcase just how much each of them mean to us here at WRC! You can read about each of our partners down below, or you can view each of them on our social media pages!
Dunbarton Corporation is one of WRC’s longest standing community partnerships and where we have seen a lot of growth over the years! Dunbarton produces and delivers quality metal frames and doors while also providing excellent customer care. With over 60 years of experience, we’re proud to have found such a wonderful partnership with them! Dunbarton uses only American-made resources and manufacturing from Dothan, Alabama and Camden, Tennessee. In 1954, the company began production on the first steel bifold closed door, based on an original design. Today, Dunbarton manufactures three building product lines: Redi-Frame Prefinished Door Frames, Slim-Fold Closet Systems, and Achiever Entry Systems. What’s awesome about Dunbarton Corporation is that their production is located right here in Dothan, Alabama! They’re supported by a nationwide network of distributors and a satellite facility in Camden, Tennessee!
At WRC, we have a Dunbarton department where employees assemble manufactured parts to make a complete and packaged product per each customer’s specifications. Each employee’s workstation is retrofitted to accommodate each employee’s individual needs! In 2023, the employees in WRC’s Dunbarton division produced over 507,000 hardware bags and over 150,000 pieces of bi-fold track for the sliding door industry.
A Real Life Success Story: This past year, we had a woman who was referred to us by one of our community partners to work with us in our Work Services division. She had recently suffered from an ischemic stroke causing her to lose mobility on the right side of her body. This limited her ability to work and her locations to work at. Upon further evaluation, we decided to place her in our Dunbarton department. Our Dunbarton department is one of our most accommodating departments as the majority of the workstations can be modified to fit the employee’s physical and mental abilities. For this specific case, the workstation can be maneuvered using your left foot instead of the standard hand controls. Not only is her workstation customized to her specific needs, but her schedule is accommodated by reduced hours due to supplemental income through social security. At her workstation, she primarily focuses on placing a metal rod into a plastic cap using a pneumatic drill-press. Once she’s finished at her station, the assembly line will package all of the materials together!
We cannot thank Dunbarton Corporation enough for helping us to employ individuals with disabilities while also helping us to show just what a difference a job makes!
History of Dothan: Dothan, Alabama boasts a rich and fascinating history spanning several centuries. From its humble beginnings as a small township before the Civil War, it has evolved into a modern city with universities, parks, and various contemporary amenities. The town derived its name from a Bible verse, Genesis 37:17, which mentions, “For I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan!'” Interestingly, Dothan was not its original name. Post-Civil War, the town started to thrive. Initially known as “Poplar Head” in 1885 as a trading community, it was later renamed Dothan on November 10, 1885, due to an already existing Poplar Head in Alabama. With the introduction of the railroad, growth accelerated, leading to the establishment of Houston County in 1903. However, it was the pioneering work of scientist Dr. George Washington Carver experimenting with peanuts that truly propelled the town. Acknowledged as “The Peanut Capital of the World,” Dothan celebrates Dr. Carver’s discovery of the town’s fertile soil, being ideal for peanut cultivation. Despite Dothan’s significant progress, it always pays tribute to the rich legacy of those who paved the way before us.
In WRC’s Environmental Services division, we play a leading role in the building maintenance sector. Within our Environmental Services division, we hold contracts with the City of Dothan for our Lawn Care & Landscaping teams and litter pickup crews. WRC runs a dedicated commercial lawn and landscaping team with skilled personnel capable of offering professional mowing, weeding, edging, pruning, bush hogging, and flower bed maintenance services. Additionally, WRC manages a full-time litter collection service for the City of Dothan through contracted arrangements. These litter collection contracts provide daily training and work experience for 10-15 individuals. On average, the litter crew gathers around 200 tons of debris from the main corridors of the City of Dothan.
Our Lawn & Landscaping teams hold specific contracts for maintaining the City of Dothan’s cemeteries on Main Street and Montana Street. Additionally, they are responsible for overseeing local water wells, sub-stations, lift stations, and the Public Safety Center. These contracts, in collaboration with the City of Dothan, support a team of 6 individuals who are engaged in year-round activities. The Litter Patrol crews consist of 9 individuals who work diligently to maintain the cleanliness of prominent areas in Dothan, including Ross Clark Circle. in 2024, these crews have already gathered an average of 8 tons of litter per month, totaling nearly 50 tons of litter collected so far.
A Real-Life Success Story: At WRC, we take pride in empowering individuals with disabilities to achieve self-sufficiency. Our aim is to support all of our team members in reaching their highest level of independence! For instance, there was a young man who joined the lawn and landscaping team with a keen interest in learning about the safe use of pesticides for lawn care. He embarked on a journey to become a certified pesticide applicator, and, with the guidance of WRC staff, he successfully acquired his Ornamental and Turf Pest Control Supervisor license. Since receiving this certification, he has taken on more responsibilities, advanced his career at WRC, and laid the foundation for his future aspirations.
Thank you, City of Dothan, for helping us to employ individuals to better prepare them for their future!
Wayne-Sanderson Farms is an industry leader and the nation’s third-largest poultry producer, serving customers, consumers, and communities with integrity, leadership and responsible farm, workplace, and business practices. With a diverse portfolio of products, a strong operating culture, and an industry-leading workforce of more than 26,000 people, Wayne-Sanderson Farms owns and operates 23 fresh and further-processing facilities across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas. Wayne-Sanderson Farms produces affordable, high-quality poultry products for retail, foodservice, restaurant, industrial, and institutional segments under the brand names of Wayne Farms® fresh and prepared chicken; Sanderson Farms® fresh chicken; Covington Farms® fresh and frozen chicken; Platinum Harvest® premium fresh chicken; Chef’s Craft® gourmet chicken; and Naked Truth® premium chicken. The Dothan, Alabama plant comprises a fresh processing plant, two hatcheries, and a feed mill. The feed mill not only supports this plant, but it also supports two other fresh plants nearby. Acquired in 2013, the Dothan location was renovated in 2019. Weekly, this facility processes more than 1,650,000 birds.
In 2018 and 2019, Wayne-Sanderson Farms utilized space at our WRC Furniture Gallery while constructing their Administration building. Additionally, during the renovation period, the company’s administration utilized a section of our parking lot, and some of our Purchased Transportation drivers at WRC transported their staff across Ross Clark Circle to their main building. Wayne-Sanderson Farms continues to be a valued community partner and customer across various departments on WRC’s campus. They have organized events and meetings with our Sterling Events Services team and currently store processing equipment in our Work Services building warehouse. Our lawn and landscaping teams also regularly tend to the landscaping at Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Dothan location to maintain a neat and attractive appearance.
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, we appreciate your fantastic partnership and support in our community. Your dedication to helping us achieve our mission of showcasing the impact of employment of individuals with disabilities is truly valued!
Let’s Stay in Touch!
Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center, Inc.
795 Ross Clark Circle, Suite #1
Dothan, Alabama 36303
(334) 792-0022