/s^uiurnn 1992
‘We Rent Helicopters’
Page 5
Mcinufacturing
Services Adopts
Useful Slogan
As you enter the Adams-Mil-
llis Manufacturing Services De
partment on English Street in
iHigli Point, a sign at the entrance
[proclaims in bigbold letters “We
Rent Helicopters!”
At first glance, the sign may
be misleading, especially for a
company that is known for mak-
ingsocks. But anyone in theshop
will let you know that renting
helicopters and making socks
certainly go hand-in-hand in this
department.
In the past several months
“renting helicopters” has become
somewhat of a rally ing cry for the
Manufacturing Services Group.
“Everybody has rallied around
it and strengthened the team
work aspect of the organization,”
explained William Johnson,
Manufacturing Services Group
Director.
The slogan was picked up from
a story Johnson heard on a tape
done by a motivational speaker.
He told the story of a Federal
Express employee in Colorado
who exercised a great deal of
initiative and authority in an
emergency situation.
Drexel Employees
Donate 49 Pints
Of Blood In July
Employees at Drexel Knitting
donated 49 pints of blood during
a blood give-in July 16 at the
plant. Among the contributors
were 12 first-time donors.
James Mabe earned a two-
gallon pin with his donation while
Jerry Poteat and Johnny Kaynor
each received their one-gallon
pins.
Margie Newton, Sara Sher
rill, Betty Grady, Jane Beach and
Shirley Bumgarner served as
volunteers for the visit. Marie
Newton, Shirley Bumgarner,
Charles McClung and James
Mabe handled donor recruitment.
A major snow storm had hit
the town where Federal Express
had a large distribution center.
The storm had knocked down a
major telephone line that served
the area, disabling the city in
cluding the Federal Express center
which could not do any business
without its telephone system.
When he learned where the
telephone line was down, a Fed
eral Express maintenance em
ployee decided to drive to the
site, which was atop a hill, and try
to repair the line. However, his
efforts to drive there fell short
because the snow was too deep
for him to continue to the top in
his vehicle.
The Federal Express mainte
nance employee was undeterred,
however. He turned his vehicle
around and headed to the closest
airport. When he got there, he
rented a helicopter which car
ried him to the top of the hill
where he was able to repair the
dow'ned telephone line putting
the city and his company back in
business.
In essence, he rented a heli
copter and became a hero.
“The moral to the story as we
see it is ‘who will rent a helicop
ter?,”’ Johnson said. “With an
attitude like that maintenance
man had, anything can be accom
plished. That’s what we are say
ing when our employees say they
are going to rent a helicopter.”
Hardly any day passes that
someone in the department
doesn’t have to “rent a helicop
ter,” according to Ernest Kearns,
Division Maintenance Manager.
“Our employees really like the
idea of the helicopters,” Kearns
said. “Watching everyone take a
leadership role really has been
an inspiration.”
Johnson and Kearns praised
former Vice President of Opera
tions Dick Porter for leading the
division into its current attitude.
“We work through our stan
dard operating procedures, but
w'e want each person to have input
into the operation of the divi
sion,” Johnson said. “What we
have seen is an attitude among
employees that ‘We can handle
any situation.’ They’ve really
bought into being part of the
decision-making process.”
Manufacturing Services sen.'es
all Adams-Millis plants and fa
cilities with an endless number
of tasks which keeps production
running as smoothly as possible.
“We’ll do whatever is neces
sary to support the manufactur
ing operations,” Kearns said.
Since the department adopted
the “We Rent Helicopters” slo
gan, each employee is vested with
the responsibility of which task
should be completed first.
“Nobody ever says ‘That’s not
my job,”’ Kearns added. “They
look at each job and decide
whether it is an emergency, ur
gent or routine and act accord
ingly. Anybody here can rent a
helicopter.”
Joyce Named V-P Operations
(Continued from Page 1)
University where he majored in
political science. Following gradu
ation he worked for five years
with Macfield Texturing in
Reidsville, Madison and Greens
boro.
He joined Adams-Millis 14
years ago as a staff industrial
engineer and was later training
manager. Plant Manager of Kern-
ersville Knitting and Mount Airy
Finishing and a group manager.
He is a member of the board
of directors of the High Point
United Way and a member of
Christ United Methodist Church
in Greensboro where he lives with
his wife, the former Jane Folger
of Madison, and their three chil
dren - Jane Marie, 11, Ken, 10,
and Leigh, 3.
Joyce is a member of the Dyeing
and Finishing Committee of the
National Association of Hosiery
Manufacturers. He enjoys golf
and watching his children play
soccer.
“I’m very excited about this
new job,” he said. “Adams-Mil
lis is on the verge of change in
technology and greater growth
in the hosiery industry'. It is a
pleasure to be in this situation
now.”
“Adams-Millis is fortunate to
have such a group of dedicated
employees,” Joyce added. “They
are our most important asset. I
am lucky to have the support I
have received from them.”
Joyce said he plans to expand
the teamwork concept which
Porter emphasized during his time
as Vice President of Operations.
“The program which Dick
started has exhibited a marked
success. I think that continuing
that program is essential in be
coming the lowest cost producer
in the industry' and meeting our
goals in the coming years.”
“Van has a depth of experi
ence that is needed to help Adams-
Millis become the dommant socks
company in the country',” said
Chief Executive Officer Rich Noll.
“Van’s visionary thinking and
commitment to continuous im
provement are key ingredients
to guide us toward a successful
future.”
Sara Lee Becomes An Olympics Partner
Sara Lee Corporation has
become a Centennial Olympic
Games Partner for the 1996
Summer Olympics to be held in
Atlanta.
The agreement was signed by
Sara Lee Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer John Bryan,
Sara Lee President Paul Fulton
and Billy Payne, president/chief
executive officer of the Atlanta
Committee for the Olympic
Games and co-chair of the At-
latna Centennial Olympic Prop
erties, and Dr. Harvey Schiller,
executive director of the U.S.
Olympic Committee and co-chair
of the Atlanta Centennial Olym
pic Properties.
Sara Lee is the first interna
tional consumer products com
pany to become a Centennial
Olympic Games Partner. The
agreement also includes partner
ship in the 1994 Lillehammer
Winter Olympic Games and the
1994 and 1996 U.S. Olympic
teams. This is Sara Lee’s first
Olympic partnership.
Champion, Hanes and L’eggs
will be the primary Sara Lee
brands participating in the 1996
Centennial Olympic Games
apparel partnership,” Bryan said.
“Our U.S. Olympic Games part
nership is a natural extension of
Sara Lee’s business strategy.
Supporting the w'orld’s premier
sporting event is linked to our
commitment to brand leader
ship.”
Fulton added, “We believe that
the partnership opportunity of
fered by the 1996 Centennial
Games strongly supports Sara
Lee’s extensive marketing cam
paigns for Champion, Hanes and
L’eggs products. The potential
impact has been heightened by
changes made in the partnership
program that will be introduced
for the 1996 Centennial Olympic
Games.”
Fulton said more details of
Sara Lee’s partnership are being
worked out and will be announced
soon.
The Olympic partnership
program has been extensively
modified to maximize marketing
exposure for 1996 partners.
“Recognizing the unique
character, unprecedented mag
nitude and unparalleled global
appeal of the 100th anniversary
of the Olympic Games, we have
significantly restructred the part
nership program,” Payne ex
plained. “We’ve created a joint
marketing venture - the Atlanta
Centennial Olympic Properties
- resulting in distinct new bene
fits for participants.
According to Payne, the new'
program offers both heightened
exclusivity and enhanced mar
keting rights.
The number of partners hads
been reduced dramatically. In
addition, a menu of Olympic
symbols and trademarks will be
avbailable for partners.
In addition to the Olympic
partnership, Sara Lee sponsors
several other sporting events.
- The annual Sara Lee Clas
sic, a golf tournaemnt sanctioned
by the Ladies Professional Golf
Association, draw's leading pro
fessional and celebrity golfers to
Nashville, Tenn., each year.
- Sara Lee is the major cor
porate sponsor of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association
w'omen’s programs - Sara Lee’s
three-years, S6 million commit
ment is the largest contribution
ever made to w’omen’s athletics.
- Sara Lee is the sponsor of
the annual Crosby Celebrity Golf
Tournament which raises SI.5
million for drug prevention pro
grams annually.
- Through its L’eggs hosiery
brand, the company is also a major
sponsor of the Ice Capades.