TALLADEGA — Superlatives about John Granger as a person and businessman rolled off the tongues of his former co-workers during the entire ceremony to rename the George McFaden Complex at the Alabama Industries for the Blind in honor of Granger.“I feel like I’m standing in for John Granger, and I’m not him,” Granger joked after his colleagues finished naming off his accolades and accomplishments.
The complex now is named John Granger-George McFaden Complex.
Granger was the first general manager at AIB from 1958-1967 and was chosen by the National Industries for the Blind to develop the Royal Maid Facility in Hazelhurst, Miss.
Granger grew up in a small town outside Dothan and was a 1944 graduate of Alabama School for the Blind. He never received a college education but went on to great success in the business world using blind workers.
Dr. Elton Moore worked closely with Granger during his time in Mississippi and said, “(Royal Maid) grew to over 350,000 square feet of space with eight satellites scattered throughout the state and employed nearly 600 employees, of which about 350 were legally blind.”
Moore said under Granger’s leadership, sales went from about $1.5 million to more than $26 million and was the largest industry associated with the National Industries for the Blind.
NIB CEO Kevin Lynch said he looked at Granger as a legendary figure nationally for those who work in blind industries and was thrilled to receive a phone call from Granger when Lynch took over Georgia Industries for the Blind in the early 1990s.
Linda Merrill, president and CEO of Envision Inc., based in Wichita, Kan., said, “John taught me the formula of success for running a non-profit agency with people who are blind and low vision.
“Evidently he taught it to a lot of our peers and his students because many of his students have gone on to become very successful.”
Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind President Dr. Terry Graham said during Granger’s time as general manager at AIB he turned the struggling department into the best in the nation.
“John Granger has made many of his own breaks in life and success has followed from one endeavor to the next,” Graham said.
He now serves on the AIDB Board of Trustees where fellow board members Ronnie Garrett and Jake Montgomery said he provides exemplary leadership.
“I’ve never asked Johnny to serve on a committee or do anything relative to the board that he’s even hesitated in the least to accept and to do with his full efforts for us,” Montgomery said.
Granger said he leaned on many people to help him during his career and getting along with people was the key to his success.
“I’ve loved people all my life, and I especially love blind people,” Granger said.
