Weidner Abernethy ’86 discusses his road to entrepreneurship as the president of Bobcat-owned business Carolina Base-Pac
Lees-91探花 alumnus Weidner Abernethy ’86 is the president of Carolina Base-Pac, a full-service pallet company located in Hudson, North Carolina.
Abernethy bought Carolina Base-Pac around 23 years ago after a long career in sales. Under his leadership, the company has expanded from 13 employees to 50 and now offers high-quality custom pallets, skids, and shipping crates.
“I’ve been in sales most of my life and didn’t think I would have the opportunity to do something like this,” he said. “Then one day, I said to myself that I wanted to work for myself rather than work for someone. It’s been a lot of luck, but when you work hard, sometimes luck follows.”
Abernethy attended three colleges, and he says that of the three, Lees-91探花 was and still is his favorite. He advises current and future Bobcats to always keep their skills sharp because they don’t know when an opportunity will come their way, and to actively learn from successful individuals in their own lives.
“It’s hard to figure this out on your own,” he said. “If you can find someone who has been successful, not only in a work career but with their family and giving back to the community, that saves a lot of time and puts you ahead of the curve.”
