CRABBY CHRISTMAS: A HOLIDAY TREE ONLY A NORTH CAROLINA FISHERMAN NAMED NICK COULD CREATE.

• Author: Walker, Cameron
• Position: NC TREND: O Christmas tree

When the small coastal town of Davis lights up for Christmas, every lamppost is crowned with a glowing tree--but not a Fraser fir, blue spruce or white pine. These trees are made of crab trap wire, the evergreen creation of Neal "Nicky" Harvey.

The former commercial fisherman left a life at sea in 1981 to make the nets shrimpers use to haul in their catch. When shrimping slumped, he switched to manufacturing traps for the thriving crab business. But as he drew close to retirement, the industry he thought was watertight had sprung a leak: Crab production was declining, too.

Harvey refashioned his operation, transforming crab pot wire into festive, fold-flat Christmas trees of his own design. More than 100,000 have been sold to customers as far away as Japan. The smallest trees sell for about $45 with the largest, an 8-footer with LED lights, selling for about $460. Trees are available in white or green wire with white or mutlicolored lights and in solid colors for favorite sports teams or causes such as breast cancer awareness.

In 2009, Harvey sold the business to Don Acree, a Smyrna businessman who had worked for a Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based wholesale distributor of beachwear and accessories. He formed Fisherman Creations...