Firestone
textiles
COMPANY
news
Gastonia, North Carolina • Bennettsville, South Carolina
Bowling Green, Kentucky JUNE 1981
Mciin office addition
When these photos were made in mid-May, Firestone-
Gastonia Shop workmen were on schedule with the addition
to the plant Main Office. The project, planned for com
pletion by mid-June, will provide 1440 square feet floor
area.
The added part will make space
for Accounting, and the area which
that department vacates will be
offices for Firestone Hopewell
(Va.) personnel. They will transfer
to Gastonia later this year, when
the textile and fiber groups are
consolidated.
The Textiles Division (head
quarters at Gastonia, and other
plants at Bennettsville, S.C., Bowl
ing Green, Ky., and Woodstock,
Canada) and the Hopewell Fire
stone Synthetic Fibers Company
will become a new division. It will
be known as Firestone Fibers and
Textiles Company, headquartered
at Gaslonia.
Both operations are being com
bined because of the complimentary
nature of the business. All plants
will continue to turn out the same
products as usual. Consolidation
is expected to be completed by
early September.
Synthetic yarns are produced
from "scratch” (the chemical
mix) at Hopewell, and one plant
of the Woodstock complex. Plants
at Gastonia, Bennettsville, Bowl
ing Green and the other Wood-
stock units either process yarns
into cord and fabric or dip and
stretch-treat finished fabric prin
cipally for tire reinforcement.
A PATTERN OF PIRNS
Forms wound with synthetic
yarn produced at Firestone-Hope-
well. The Hopewell plant 'creates'
nylon, polyester and other scientifi
cally engineered fibers from a
chemical mix.
The mix — in liquid state — is
transformed to a strand con
struction when forced through the
minute holes of a spinneret.
Emerging into the air, the melt-
spun material becomes solid
fiber — taking on strength, wear
ability and other characteristics.
$9.6 m energy savings
The Firestone Company realized a $9.6-million saving
on energy use in operating costs worldwide in the first
quarter of fiscal 1981. Savings exceeded the goal for the
quarter, even though there was a 19.3 percent jump in
energy costs from a year earlier, according to Donald R.
Kline, the company’s manager of energy use.
First-quarter savings, he said,
represent a 24-percent cut in
Firestone's energy use, based on
federal requirements for measuring
energy conservation for compara
tive production periods.
The company Is into a 5-year
program of energy conservation,
its plan to save 8250 million by
1985.
"If we reach our 1985 goal, we
will have saved 1.8 million barrels
of oil at an estimated cost of
around 873 million," Kline said.
By meeting its previous 5-year
(1975-80) energy-conservation
goal. Firestone saved 8118 million
in operating costs.
Of saving energy, Kline said
M
S
28 scholarships to students in 21 states
Twenty-eight high school seniors received college scholar
ships in the Firestone company’s 1981 awards program.
The outstanding students are all sons and daughters of
Firestone employees or retirees.
Besides the scholarships, a cer
tificate of merit and 10 shares of
Firestone common stock were
awarded in May to each of 56 appli
cants in recognition of their out
standing high school records. The
84 scholarships and merit winners
are from 21 states.
‘Dividend Hoax’
The U.S. Veterans Administra
tion does not pay dividends on
lapsed OI insurance policies. A
rumor in recent months has been
circulating among businesses
and industries, veterans organi
zations and even veterans groups.
"Old Dividend Hoax” the VA
calls it. The story promising that
vets of WW II can collect a divi
dend based on their GI insurance,
even if they haven't kept their
policies in force.
This year there arc no scholar
ship nor merit winners from the
Textiles Division areas — Gastonia,
Bennettsville, Bowling Green.
The North Carolina winners —
Susan Boswell and Lisa Crcech —
are from Wilson. The Virginia
winner — Sharon Doherty — is
from Hopewell.
Firestone scholarships are worth
up to 813,600 toward tuition, fees,
textbooks and expenses of room
and board during 4 years college.
From the Textiles Division the
most recent scholarship winner
is Tina Renee Collins of Gastonia.
She has completed her first year
at Wake Forest University, Winston-
Salem.
Jacqueline Beth Wyatt of Bowl
ing Green, Ky., was graduated
May 9 from Western Kentucky
University. She majored in business
administration with emphasis on
computer science.
Scholarship winners may at
tend any accredited college or
university in the United States
and may study any courses leading
to a degree. In 1981 winners will
get up to 81,700 a year if the stu
dent attends a tax-supported col
lege or university, and up to
83,400 a year if the student attends
a private college or university. In
the 29 years Firestone has made
awards in this program, 984 college
scholarships have been awarded.
This program for employees/
retirees' sons and daughters is
but one part of the company’s
overall aid-to-education program.
Firestone's financial support of
education also includes a niatching-
gift plan, special education pro
grams, direct grants to institutions,
seminars and research support,
grants to associations of non-tax-
supported colleges and cost-
of-education supplements.
Come Ride the
“Mindbender’
(or the ttirill of a lifetime!
Amusement parks discounts
"Our people are committed to it.
At Firestone it gets top priority at
all our plants and installations all
over the world."
During the 1981 first quarter,
savings in the textiles division were
32.7 percent. Dan Cronin, energy-
use coordinator, said this repre
sents nearly 8500,000 savings in
operation of the Gastonia, Ben
nettsville and Bowling Green
plants. He noted this conservation
came mostly through continued
improvement, practices, tech
niques and projects.
Examples are the use of cord-
twisting travellers of lightest weight
without sacrificing production,
— More on page 2
If you visit a family amusement
park near home or one on vacation
travel faraway this summer, you
can save money with discount
coupons/cards available at Fire
stone plant Personnel offices. The
visitor attractions vary by location,
so check with Personnel on what's
available at Firestone Textile
plants.
This season from Memorial Day
through Labor Day, popular places
like Six Flags in Atlanta, St. Louis
and Arlington, Texas are included
on the discount program.
Some others are Astroworld at
Houston: Opryland, Nashville; Old
Country, Williamsburg, Va.: Busch
Gardens, Tampa; Cypress Gardens,
Winter Haven; Walt Disney World,
Orlando and Circus World, Orlando.
There are more in other parts of
the country.
Firestone again this season is
sponsoring attractions at 9 of the
family amusement parks across
the country. In the current season
the company is operating a car ride
at Kings Island near Cincinnati:
parking-lot services at Kings Island’s
sister parks — Kings Dominion
near Richmond, Va.; and Caro-
winds near Charlotte, N.C.
In recent years the company has
sponsored air shows at these 3
parks. The other 6 parks where
Firestone is sponsoring attractions;
Car rides at Six Flags over
Georgia, Atlanta; Six Flags Over
Mid-America, St. Louis; Six Flags
Over Texas, Arlington; Astroworld,
Houston. At Adventure in Jackson,
N.J., the company operates the
parking lot, and sponsors an
antique-car ride at World of Fun,
an independent park near Kansas
City, Mo. All 9 parks are open daily
through Labor Day.