The secret of contenlment is
knowing how lo enjoy whal you
have and being able to lose desire
for things beyond your reach.
—Lin Yutang
Tinsiom
GASTONIA
We need not fear the future if
each day we consistently, honest
ly, intelligently and faithfully
measure up to our best.
—Carl Holmes
VOLUME VII
GASTONIA, N. C., SEPTEMBER, 1958
No. 10
FLORIDIANS TOUR PLANT
Among the visitors on plant tours during the summer were Mr.
and Mrs. W. T. Golden and their daughter Judy of Miami, Fla.
Here, they look over Firestone booklets before the huge tire in the
main plant entrance. Mr. Golden operates a commercial printshop
in Miami. When they stopped at Firestone in Gastonia, they were
on their second annual trip to North Carolina. It was the Goldens'
first inside look at a textile factory. Operations in the Spooling
department were of particular interest to the Florida visitors.
Good Housekeeping Impresses Visitor
Good plant housekeeping
made the strongest impression
upon a visitor from the Union
of South Africa, when he ob
served tire cord manufacturing
processes here in August. J. L.
Pretorius, of the company’s plant
in Port Elizabeth on the Indian
Ocean, is assistant manager of
Development at the company
unit in Africa’s southernmost
port city.
The Gastonia plant supplies a
large volume of fabric which the
factory there builds into auto
and truck tires for that part of
the world.
Mr. Pretorius joined the Fire
stone organization 15 years ago,
upon graduation from Stellen
bosch University.
“I was especially interested in
the neat and orderly housekeep
ing in the Gastonia mill, and in
the systematic materials hand
ling,” he commented.
On this, his first trip to the
United States, Mr. Pretorius had
a six-week schedule of industrial
plant tours. Besides Gastonia, he
visited Firestone plants at Mem
phis, Tenn., Pottstown, Pa., and
Akron, Ohio. He was to have left
September 5 for Brentford and
London, England where the com
pany also has manufacturing in
terests.
A stop at Amsterdam, then
Brussels and the World’s Fair
were points to visit on his way
back to Port Elizabeth.
ONE GOAL - ONE GIFT - ONE TIME'
Annual UF Campaign
Will Begin October 2
The contribution you make this year to the Greater Gastonia United Fund can go to
the support of 20 community, health, v^elfare and recreation services. The fund-raising
drive M^hich begins October 2, will afford Firestone Textiles employees opportunity to
make one gift for the several services made possible through the United Fund.
For the seventh consecutive year. General Superintendent Nelson Kessell is chair
man of the plant solicitation. Cotton Division Superintendent Francis B. Galligan is again
co-chairman of the in-plant drive.
Mr. Kessell points out that this year’s 20 community services sharing in the United
Fund is an increase of five over the number of agencies in 1957,
SHARE—THE UNITED WAY
Once each year all people of Firestone Textiles have the oppor
tunity to share—in united effort—material blessings with those who
need help. This privilege of sharing systematically with your
neighbor in need is made possible each fall through the Firestone
United Fund Drive, this year to begin on October 2.
Our people have been unusually generous during the past six
years of united employee giving to community and charitable
causes. Your response to this worthwhile appeal has eloquently
expressed your unselfish concern for others. I am sure this year’s
results will be even more outstanding than they were in 1957—
when Firestone Textiles was able to present to the Greater Gastonia
United Fund the largest single gift to come from any industrial
plant in the Gastonia area.
In our effort to reach the goal of 100 per cent participation in
all departments, each employee will have the opportunity to give
to the United Fund. My confidence is in you, that you will respond
generously.
When you care enough to share, you will demonstrate your
concern for others. And your liberal response to this worthwhile
cause will help Firestone Textiles to move even higher in its position
on the Honor Roll of the Greater Gastonia United Fund appeal.
General Manager
This is the seventh annual
collection of funds through an.
employees’ united appeal at the
plant. It is the only plant-wide
money-gathering effort at Fire
stone Textiles during the year.
As in the past, employee
pledges to the United Fund will
be received by volunteer solici
tors in every department of the
plant and offices. Pledges will be
met later, through a payroll de
duction plan.
EVERY PERSON is to be con
tacted and offered a sign-up card.
The giving procedure allows for
each individual to contribute on
a “fair share” basis to the total
list of organizations approved in
the Greater Gastonia United
Fund this year.
In past years of united em
ployee giving at the plant, Fire-
Get Your Discount
At Company Store
When you go to buy merchan
dise at the Firestone Stores,
identify yourself, if you want to
take advantage of the employee
discounts awaiting you there.
This reminder is from store man
ager Charles Moore of the com
pany’s sales outlet at 101 East
Franklin avenue, Gastonia.
“It sometimes happens that an
employee whom sales personnel
do not recognize will come into
the store, buy merchandise, and
not claim the discount to which
he is entitled,” says Mr. Moore.
“Always make sure store per
sonnel know you are an em
ployee,” he adds.
Many employees are not ac
quainted with the discount setup
at Firestone stores.
“Some people think we set
the discount rates in the local
store, whereas they are actually
determined by the company’s
sales department in Akron,” the
store manager says.
—Turn to Page 2
September is National Sight-
Saving Month—and a good time
to take stock of your own eye-
health scoreboard. When did you
last have a thorough, profession
al eye excimination?
The National Society for the
Prevention of Blindness recom
mends an examination every two
years, especially for men and
women over the age of 40.
stone people have been especial
ly generous. Every year, contri
butions have set new records.
In 1955, for example, employees
cared enough to share to the
figure of $12,327.07. The 1957
employee contribution reached
$14,530. The plant added a cor
porate gift of $2,300, bringing the
total to $16,830.00—the largest
single gift to come from any in
dustrial plant in the Greater
Gastonia area that year.
THE UF DRIVE at the plant
is conducted each fall along with
the Greater Gastonia UF appeal,
which coincides with the nation
wide money-raising efforts of
Community Chests and United
Funds each year from early Sep
tember through Thanksgiving
Day.
Following is a list of agencies
and services which have been
approved for sharing in your
United Fund gift for 1958:
Child Care—Gaston Big Broth
ers, Florence Crittenton Home.
Adoption — Children’s Home
Society.
Health Services—Gaston Life
Saving Crew, NC Mental Health
Association, United Cerebral
Palsy Association, Regional Men
tal Health Center.
Youth Services—Pioneer Girl
Scouts, Red Shield Boys Club.
Specialized Services — Salva
tion Army, American Red Cross.
Medical Research — United
Medical Research Foundations
of North Carolina.
Local Services — Gastonia
United Fund.
State and Nationa.1 Services—
United Service Organization,
Carolinas United Community
Services. Five national services
—American Social Hygiene As
sociation, National Recreation
Association, National Social Wel
fare Assembly, WAIF Interna
tional Social Service, National
Travelers Aid Society.
S
Chariots Roll On Firestone Tires
Many a mind turned backward to yesteryear late this
summer, when 65 gleaming vehicles of the North Carolina
Horseless Carriage Club chugged into the City of Spindles.
The chariots—models 1904 to 1927—paused for a few minutes
down the street from the Firestone plant, before hitting the
rest of the trail for Greenville, S. C. This 1911 Maxwell was
the first of the caravan to arrive. Betty Ann McAbee, whose
father is assistant to the director of industrial relations,
spotted the Firestone Non-Skids. She then helped the plant
photographer to count at least 45 of the vintage buggies
“shod” with Company-made tires. Firestone is one of the few
tire-building firms to have saved outdated molds, enabling
production of the tires which help to keep antique autos on
the road.