During much of the year, Harvey and Sons in Davis, NC looked like a typical supplier to the commercial fishing industry, with stacks of brightly colored crab traps (locally termed "crab pots") a major product. The variable nature of the fisheries, and a desire to keep the family business growing, as a legacy for his sons, prompted Nicky Harvey to look for other products.
Mr.
Harvey's roots go deep in the Down East culture, where "making
do" and "doing with the materials at hand" are long
traditions. His fertile mind played with ideas of what could be
done with left-over materials, and he experimented with making miniature
crab traps for coastal decor. Then he began experimenting with triangles
of the coated wire mesh, and the Core Sound Christmas tree was born.
The unique artificial tree was an immediate hit with friends and neighbors, who loved seeing the traditional material put to a new use. But Nicky's brain just didn't quit there... he experimented until he found a way to string lights on the tree so that the product could be folded flat to 5% of their open position and then opened for display with the light strings remaining in place. U.S. Patent #6773134 was granted in 2004
Happy New Year!
Breast Cancer Awareness
Valentines Day
During the Christmas season, they sprout like mushrooms in coastal garden, gift and Christmas shops. However if you aren't planning a trip to coastal North Carolina, you can also buy them online.
The trees have been taking on lives of their own, however, far beyond Christmas.
In
the wake of 9-11, Harvey and Sons showed their patriot spirit with
the Freedom Tree. That was just the beginning, however, as folks
near and far find more creative ways to use their Crab Pot Trees
as the artificial trees for ALL seasons to our Decorating Ideas
In 2009, Nicky Harvey negotiated a national manufacturing and distribution agreement with Fisherman Creations, Inc., who now operates just a few miles down the road from him in Smyrna, NC. Since his patent was issued well-over 100,000 Trees have been sold throughout the U.S. and overseas, with more new orders almost every day of the year !
Tell Us About YOUR Crab Pot Christmas Tree and send pictures here.
Don't have one? Shop here now!
THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE HELPED US GROW !!!
Smyrna, NC is in Coastal Carteret County, in the region known as "Down East." The Core Sound borders to the east.... think "outer banks" then go south!
It's an area rich with history and a heritage tied closely to the water. Fishing, crabbing, shrimping, oystering, hunting waterfowl, carving decoys are threads running through the lives of the residents, as abundant as the nets drying and being repaired on many a lawn or the boats -- work boats, commercial boats, shallow skimmers -- dotting the landscape.
Like in many rural areas, making a living here can be a struggle. Sometimes the crabbing is good. Sometimes it's not, but there is always the hope for a good season.
patent number US 6773134
