THE MILL WHISTLE
Eden, N. C., Monday, June 5, 1978
No. 22
»w »«
—
!i*C. United Fund
Appreciation Award
J^lctcrest Milts in Eden and throughout North Caroiina recentiy were
Ionized for outstanding contributions to the state’s United Fund
^Paigns for 1977-78 and in the past. John Kincaid, Jr. (ieft), chair-
^ the Eden campaign and other state officiais presented a plaque
i^l^Preciation to Haven Newton, vice president—industriai Relations,
’’accepted on behaif of Fieidcrest’s N.C. empioyees who contributed
'9r|'
'y $225,000 in 1977.
acation Closing Schedules Set
Fieldcrest Stores in Eden and Columbus will be closed on July 4 only
,1 Independence Day holiday. The annual summer sales at these two
will be held June 12-August 19.
Employee Outlet Store in Draper will be closed the entire week of
13 for vacation.
! ^ Karastan Employee Cash Sales Showroom in the AMP Building will
at the end of business on Friday, June 30 for inventory and vacation
■Will reopen at 1 p.m. July 10. The last day for picking up carpet at the
.^^®stan Service Center will be June 30. Pickup schedules will resume on
\ll.
Fieldcrest Fights Inflation
Fieldcrest Mills, Inc. has been
commended by the Carter admini
stration for its efforts to cooperate
with voluntary anti-inflation
restraints. The company has
rescinded its planned price increase
of approximately six percent for
shipments of the Royal Velvet towel
line made after September 1.
Robert Strauss, President
Carter’s special inflation counselor,
called the rollback “the kind of
corporate citizenship of which we
are very proud and for which we will
be looking to other American
firms,” according to a recent article
in the Wall Street Journal.
Royal Velvet is the most
important basic in the department
store community and has retail
sales of more than $30 million
annually. The voluntary rollback
means the company will forgo
$900,000 in revenue.
W. C. Battle, president and chief
executive officer, said soaring costs
for energy, labor and materials'had
dictated the need for the increase
but after conferring with Strauss the
decision was made to recall the
announced increase. “We are trying
to cooperate with voluntary
restraints requested by the presi
dent,” Battle said, “and hope this
will benefit consumers by helping to
maintain the existing prices on one
of Fieidcrest’s most popular
products.”
New Telephone System To Be Installed
Eden area employees making iong distance telephone calls after June 29
will be literally talking to computers.
After that date, a new Datapoint Infoswitch system-made up of three com
puters will handle all outgoing long distance telephone calls without going
through the Fieldcrest switchboard or using the WATS lines.
For additional information on the new system, see the next issue of The
Mill Whistle. Also, detailed instructions on using the system will be sent out
by the Communications Department in the next few weeks.
Clifton Joins 50-Year Club
John Bruce Clifton, a Jacquard
weaver at the Fieldale Towel Mill,
will complete 50 years of continuous
service with the company on June 8,
and will become the newest member
of the Fieldcrest 50-Year Club. He
will be honored by the company and
by the 50-Year Club members at a
luncheon at Meadow Greens
Country Club that day.
Born in Patrick County, Va., he
began working at the Fieldale Towel
Mill in 1928 as a sweeper, became a
filling hand in 1932 and a weaver in
1933.
One of six children, he has a sister.
Hazel Wade, who retired in 1971
from the Fieldale Towel Mill. Also,
his father, Bryce Clifton, and a
brother, Odell Clifton, at one time
worked at the Towel Mill.
A part-time minister, he serves
two Primitive Baptist Churches, one
in Eden and one in Pulaski, Va. He
also helps Fieldale area ministers on
occasion and says that when he
retires on January 1, 1979, he will
probably do ministerial work full
time. “It’s wonderful to be of help to
people,” he said: “If you can really
help just a few people in your life,
then it’s been worthwhile.”
Looking back on 50 years of
service at the Fieldale Towel Mill,
he said the greatest and most
beneficial change he had seen in
those years was the air-conditioning
of the plant.
Clifton and his wife, Dorothy,
make their home in Fieldale and
have one daughter who lives with
them.
John Clifton