* What: Life safety rope
* Company: Pigeon Mountain Industries
* Address: P.O. Box 803, LaFayette, Ga.
* Website: www.pmirope.com
* Telephone: 706-764-1437
* Owners: Steve Hudson
* What's special: "The difference with us is that we don't make generic hardware store ropes. ... We only make life safety ropes," Mr. Hudson said. "The large percentage of the people here are users, so they all appreciate what that requires. We feel like we give people a really good bargain if your life is on the line, so to speak."
* The origin story: Pigeon Mountain Industries was founded by a group of four caving families who were fed up with the lack of quality life safety ropes and decided to create a better rope for the caving market. PMI later expanded into other safety ropes, but caving equipment has continued to be a focus of the company, Mr. Hudson said.
* How long does it take to make? Yarn must be twisted and dyed, but the end process through the braiding machine produces finished rope at a meter a minute.
* Where it's sold: On Rope 1 Inc. in Harrison, Tenn., and High Point Rescue & Safety in LaFayette, Ga.
* How long have they been making them? PMI was founded in 1976. Prior to that Mr. Hudson started working with another rope maker in Carrollton, Ga., in 1969.
* Future expansions planned: PMI is seeing major growth in the international, rescue and industrial fall-protection markets and continues to invest to gain shares in each, Mr. Hudson said.
* Lessons of the trade: "My personal motto has always been to treat people right, do the right thing," Mr. Hudson said. "It may slow business down, but you continue to grow that way."