special Anniversary
Edition
Tir«$ton«
GASTONIA
Special Anniversary
Edition
VOLUME IV
GASTONIA, N. C„ MAY 16. 1955
NUMBER 9
13,000 Tour Plant During Celebration
Firestone Textiles Marks 20th Anniversary
With Five-Day Program of Special Events
y
REPRESENTATIVE of Ihe employees who were honored at
the 20-year service banquet is Mrs. Eula Wilson, Payroll Super
visor, the first person to be employed in Gastonia by Firestone.
Left to right as she received her 20-year watch and service pin
Were: Harold Mercer, William A. Karl. Raymond C. Firestone,
^rs. Wilson, J. E. Trainer and Nelson Kessell.
Executive Vice-Presidents
Speak at 20-Year Banquet
J- E. Trainer and Raymond C.
firestone, Executive Vice-Presi-
of The Firestone Tire &
Rubber Company, were the main
speakers at the banquet honoring
^’^ployees with 20 years of serv-
Thursday, May 5, in the
^^creation Center.
’I'he speakers commended the
®^ployees for their loyalty and
“^^viewed the progress and pros-
of the Company in general
particularly of the Gastonia
Want.
General Manager Harold Mercer
l^^ssided at the banquet and in-
^oduced special guests Ben E.
^Ugias, Director of the Depart-
of Conservation and De
velopment for the State of North
^^olina, who brought greetings
from the Governor, and the Hon.
Leon Schneider, new mayor of
Gastonia, who gave a short talk.
After reading congratulatory
telegram from Harvey S. Fire
stone, Jr., Chairman of the Fire
stone Company, and Lee R. Jack
son, President, Mr. Mercer in
troduced William A. Karl,
President of Firestone Textiles.
Mr. Karl spoke briefly and then
introduced Mr. Trainer and Mr.
Firestone and also James W.
Maples, Director of Manufactur
ing for Firestone rubber products
plants in the United States and
Canada.
At the end of the program Mr.
Trainer, Mr. Firestone, Mr. Karl
and Mr. Mercer greeted each hon-
(Continued on page 6)
JriRESTONE TEXTILES rounded out 20
years of operation with what was probably
the largest celebration ever held in Gastonia.
Thousands of people crowded the plant and
its grounds each day from May 3 to 7 for
special events for employees and their fami
lies and open house tours for families, school
groups, civic organizations and the public.
During the five-day program more than 13,000
persons toured the plant, prized by the Firestone
Company as one of the most modern and complete
textile operations, and largest under one roof in
the world. The visitors saw the plant’s extensive
facilities for producing rayon and nylon cord for
Firestone tire and cotton yarns and fabrics for
commercial sale, and then were treated to re
freshments by the plant staff.
* * #
AN ESTIMATED 5,000 employees and members
of their families toured the plant on the opening
day, Tuesday, May 3. A total of 3,200 school chil
dren and their teacher^ were guests on Wednesday,
900 members of civic organizations on Thursday,
and 4,000 others, including the general public and
representatives of other firms on Friday.
In the beautifully decorated lobby and through
out the plant were hundreds of bouquets of flowers
sent by other firms and individuals for the oc
casion. Many congratulatory telegrams and letters
were received.
One of the top events of the week was the ban
quet on Thursday, May 5, honoring 100 employees
who will have completed 20 years of service during
April, May and June.
* * *
PRINCIPAL SPEAKERS at the banquet in the
Recreation Center were J. E. Trainer and Ray
mond C. Firestone, Executive Vice-Presidents of
the Firestone Company, who also presented Fire
stone 20- year watches and pins to the honored em
ployees. Other top Company executives were
present as General Manager Harold Mercer pre
sided.
These officials and other state and local officials
were guests at an informal luncheon preceding a
tour of the plant Thursday afternoon. In the group
were Ben E. Douglas, state Director of Conserva
tion and Development; David Q. Holton, state
Director of Purchases; the Hon. Harrelson W.
Yancey, retiring Mayor of Gastonia; City Man
ager James Carter; R. G. Cherry, former Governor
of North Carolina, and B. T. Dickson, executive
secretary of the Gastonia Chamber of Commerce.
The celebration was climaxed Saturday, May
7, with a barbecue served by Red Bridges to 6,000
employees and members of their families in the
afternoon and a square dance in the evening at
the new plant parking lot,
(Continued on page 6)
Messages From Company
Mr. Harold Mercer, Firestone Textiles
Your invitation of April 26th to attend luncheon
on May 5th during the celebration of the Twentieth
Anniversary of Firestone Textiles in Gastonia and
the dinner that evening honoring 20-Year em
ployees is much appreciated. I deeply regret that
important engagements previously made for that
day and involving the plans of others will prevent
my having the pleasure of being with you. I wish
to take this opportunity to congratulate you and
your organization of loyal men and women whose
devotion and skills have made our Gastonia plant
an integral and important manufacturing facility
in our constant objective of producing the finest
tires in the world.
Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Chairman.
Mr. Harold Mercer, Firestone Textiles
Thanks very much for your invitation to attend
the open house and banquet celebrating your 20
years of successful operation in Gastonia. I wish
I could be with you, but I have commitments and
appointments this week that make this impossible.
I do want to congratulate you and your organiza
tion, however, on your splendid operation and per
formance in Gastonia and ask that you extend
my very best wishes to your entire organization.
Lee R. Jackson, President.
OPEN HOUSE tours attracted thousands of
school children and their teachers, employees
and members of their families, members of civic
organizations and the general public the first
four days of the anniversary celebration. Left
below—Students crowd the entrance under the
"Welcome" sign. Right—Families entering the
plant gate.