As the tobacco market increased its sales volume, Averette N. Mitchell, himself a farmer, saw a need for storage warehouses and built some himself, renting them to tobacco companies. More was needed than just storage however, and Mitchell, in 1919, helped organize Fairmont Re-drying Plant, Inc. to build a re-drying facility in Fairmont.

Principal stockholders in addition to Mitchell were A. L. Jones, E. H. Davis & Sons, E. J. Chambers & Company, A. S. Thompson, H. G. Stubbs, O. A. Reeves, G. W. Thompson and F. C. Jones. Authorized capital was $100,000 and by the time the charter was issued, more than $20,000 had been paid in. The building was to be a two-story, 150x200 brick building at Center and Walnut Streets and was estimated to cost more than $30,000.

Directors of the company were elected on April 5, 1919. They were F. P. Davis, O. A. Reeves, A. S. Thompson, F. L. Blue, W. N. Hubbard, H. G. Stubbs and A. L. Jones. Construction began by April 15, 1919 and two months later the completed building was being outfitted with the necessary equipment by the Imperial Tobacco Company, who had purchased the building from the corporation before it was completed.

Per the Robesonian, a handsome profit was made on the sale by the stockholders.