OCT 5 1361
CASTONIA • NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME X-NUMBER tl
OCTOBER, 1961
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Best Today
Still Better
Tomorrow
Rubber • Chemicals • Textiles
Synthetics • Metals • Plastics
Sightseeing
from Camp Firestone
UNDERNEATH
OCTOBER SKIES
For the past quarter-century,
families of Firestone Textiles
employees have enjoyed the
splendor of autumn as it parades
in the Camp Firestone area of
the Blue Ridge Mountains and
surrounding highlands. Each
year the company-owned retreat
on Lake James extends its sea
son into October when the color
spectacular reaches its peak.
Above: Clouds over the Great
Smokies, as seen from Mile-High
Overlook on Blue Ridge Park
way.
m
• BILTMORE HOUSE —Famed Asheville chateau is called "The
most magnificent house in America." The center of a 12,000-acre
estate, Biltmore House contains interesting paintings; other works
of art and priceless furnishings. The renowned gardens and farm
are included in a sightseeing tour. Estate was original nucleus of
Pisgah Forest, location of the first extensive reforestation project
in the United States. —Photos: N.C. News Bureau and Asheville
Chamber of Commerce.
You Can Make Them Firestone Tires
Many employees who make
lengthy auto trips and partici
pate in other activities that re
quire increased use of the fami
ly vehicle, take the precaution
of having worn tires replaced,
and the car checked and ser
viced. In some cases, the family
buys a new car for a long trip.
When buying a new car, em
ployees can insist that it be
equipped with Firestone tires.
Auto dealers make changeovers
if cars chosen by employees are
not already equipped with
Firestone tires.
If for some reason a change
over is not possible, the Fire
stone company has a program
that enables the employee to
have the tires changed over
easily and inexpensively,
Another program makes it
possible for employees to ob
tain Firestone replacement tires
at reduced prices.
Making The Changeover
Original-equipment tires of
brands other than Firestone and
with less than 100 miles wear,
may be changed to new Fire
stone DeLuxe Champion tube-
less tires for $1 per tire. Any
balancing charges or sales tax
that may apply would be extra.
This policy applies to DeLuxe
Champion tubeless tires, but if
the employee wishes to change
to a higher-level tire—such as
the Butylaire, or the 500—he
may work out his own special
arrangement with the store.
Changeover forms, available
(Continued on page 3)
Business Good;
Will Continue
The economic upturn
which made Firestone’s third
quarter of this year the best
in history will continue the
remainder of 1961 and into
1962, company president
Raymond C. Firestone pre
dicted as he left on a Euro
pean trip in late September.
He went to Europe to partici
pate in the dedication of a new
tire plant at Bethune, France,
Sept. 21. Mr. Firestone’s opti
mistic economic note brought
out the fact that the company in
mid-September reported sales of
$306,733,078 and estimated earn
ings of $16,665,519 during the
third quarter, bringing sales for
the first nine months of the cur
rent fiscal year to $851,605,368.
A combination of improved
original-equipment business, and
a continued high level of re
placement sales should boost tire
shipments next year to a record
of more than 127 million units,
Mr. Firestone said.
He reported that the company
would seize the opportunities
of this promising economic out
look by marketing such new
products as Diene man-made
rubber, the new Butj^laire prem
ium passenger tire and the Du
plex, a single, wider tire de
velopment by the company to
replace the familiar duals on
trucks.
The president envisioned
Town & Country tires setting
new sales records this fall and
winter.
Giving The United Way
‘People Helping Others^
Your community is a better place for you and your
family because you give the United Way. . . People serving
people and helping each other. These are basic ideas behind
your response to the Greater Gastonia United Fund appeal,
October 17-November 3.
In this the ninth year that
Firestone Textiles has partici
pated in the United program of
community giving, employees
will have opportunity—as in the
past—to make contributions by
the payroll-deduction method.
Volunteer workers will con
tact each individual on the job.
They will serve under plant
chairman Philip R. Williams,
cotton division manager; and
F. S. Martin, synthetics division
manager.
The Firestone solicitation was
scheduled to begin the last week
of September and will continue
into mid-October.
This year, the Gastonia UF
has a goal of $184,105 in its over
all campaign of slightly less than
three weeks. Total budget of
$158,830 will be appropriated to
the 24 participating UF agencies,
most of which operate locally.
Office and campaign expenses
will be $17,000, with $8,000 set
aside for “shrinkage”.
Proportionate Sharing
Production manager F. B. Gal-
ligan, chairman of solicitation
among industries in the Greater
Gastonia area, urges “fair share”
giving for Firestone employees
and all other contributors.
—More on Page 5
Tucker Trainer
Los Angeles
C. M. Barnes
Dayton
Trainer Promoted
Tucker Trainer has been ap
pointed private - brand, tire -
sales representative of the Fire
stone Tire & Rubber Company
of California, with headquarters
in Los Angeles.
Mr. Trainer was employed in
the cotton department at the
Gastonia plant during the sum
mer and autumn of 1950.
Before his recent appointment,
he also worked in the company’s
trade sales in Akron and War
ren, Ohio. He took over the Cali
fornia position from C. M.
Barnes, who was named presi
dent of the Dayton Tire & Rub
ber Company, a subsidiary of
Firestone.
Observation-Thinking Brought Some Awards
A close look around the plant
and a study of methods on your
own job or someone else’s. These
are good beginnings that often
originate ideas leading to ap
proved suggestions. The result:
Better production, improved
product quality, safer and more
efficient operation along with
better .working conditions, more
sales, savings of materials, time
and labor; money payment for
the suggestion itself, and many
other benefits.
Several employees here did
some observing, thinking and
adapting, turned in their ideas
and had suggestions approved
by late August.
These persons, their depart
ment, and an identification of
their idea;
James G. Saylor, Weaving, re
location of stop-motion mechan
ism on looms.
C. K. Cauthen, Warehouse,
modification of bumper guards
on lift trucks to prevent radiator
damage.
Ethlene Nichols, Cloth Room,
identification of cloth-inspection
tables.
Thurman Clark, Quality Con
trol, weight storage on header
racks.
J. A. Waldrep, Cloth Room,
modification on hoist.
Lloyd Lewis, Industrial Rela
tions, protection of twister
frames and yarn from water
damage.
—More on Page 4
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Doing All Right
W. Arrett Johnson of Spinning and
Maude Jenkins of Twisting (syn
thetics) look at posters urging par
ticipation in the company’s Sugges
tion Awards System. Mr. Johnson has
received cash payment for five ideas
out of eight, and by late September,
had submitted some more suggestions.
The second of two suggestions prov
ed successful for Mrs. Jenkins. Her
idea for improving the operation of
respoolers brought an award of $50.
This was among the highest amounts
paid for suggestions here in recent
months.