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FORK-LIFT TRUCK OPERATORS — Regular
members of the Warehouse fork-lift crew are,
from left; Ben Byers, Tracy Moore, George
Harper, Sam Love, T. J. Ross, Arthur Moore,
Julius Eskews, Arthur Gordon, John C. Petty,
Luther Thompson and Julius Parks.
Standby operators (photo right), from left:
Charles Adams, Finley Williams, Israel Good,
McBrie Sanders, Clarence Alexander, Fred
Gordon and Henry Gordon. Of both regular and
standby members of the Warehouse fork-lift
group. Jack Wellmon, George Pendergrass,
Luther Harrison and William Hope were not
present for these pictures.
They Move The Goods — Coming And Going
The 27 drivers of the fork-
lift truck crew move the
goods coming and going, to
perform one of the most
vital, around-the-clock jobs
in the manufacturing opera
tions here.
The eight fork trucks and
the two warehouse tow
trucks regularly in use at the
Gastonia plant, move the
major volume of incoming
raw materials, outgoing
products to the company’s
tire - building plants, and
sales materials for the gen
eral textile trade.
Besides this, these trucks
carry the heavier cargoes of in
coming supplies, and outgoing
re-usable waste materials and
other by-products. Added to the
job of taking materials to and
from the production line, fork
and tow trucks shift goods and
supplies in warehouse storage
operations.
Nine Promotions
—From page 1
Ralph Johnson, recreation di
rector, will become safety di
rector.
Bobby Purkey, assistant recre
ation director, will be advanced
to recreation director.
Additional details on these
new management assignments
will be published in the Febru
ary issue of the plant news
paper. Also included in that
issue will be further coverage
of Mr. Kessell’s retirement.
In these powerful machines
you will find a good example of
the mechanization which today
is helping industry keep pace
with production demands, while
holding production at the lowest
possible unit cost.
Ordinarily, there are a total
of 27 operators on the three
shifts, including those on both
regular and relief assignments.
Truck drivers at the Gastonia
plant hold in their hands almost
$68,000 worth of equipment dur
ing a regular working shift.
“Each vehicle costs the com
pany approximately the price of
a Cadillac automobile,” safety
director A. V. Riley pointed out
recently.
BECAUSE of the property in
vestment and the tremendous
accident potential of the trucks,
the company carries on an ex
acting program of maintenance
and operation of these vehicles,
with emphasis on the drivers
themselves.
Out of this program an
awards system was developed
three years ago.
For the awards, operators are
chosen on the basis of each in-
dividual’s job-consciousness,
safety performance and effici
ency. Among points considered
are: Observance and practice
of all safety rules, alertness,
maintenance of vehicle assigned
to the operator, and pride in the
appearance and good mechani
cal condition of the driver’s as
signed vehicle.
Throughout the year fork-lift
and warehouse tow operators
are under constant observation
while at work. Operation rec
ords are maintained on each in
dividual and his machine. To
determine one’s worthiness for
the awards, records of individu
als are carefully reviewed, and
by this method the top three
scorers are designated for the
honors passed out every Decem
ber.
THIS YEAR, warehouse man
ager Fred T. Morrow cited the
truck drivers for “an outstand
ing job in operation practices
during 1959”, and challenged
them “to an even better record
in 1960”.
Safety director Riley noted:
“Your good care and safe opera
tion of the equipment in your
charge represents tremendous
savings in the materials-han-
dling operations, maintenance
and replacement costs. But most
of all, your safety-consciousness
means untold savings in suf
fering from accidents, lost-time
and production cuts which na
turally result from industrial in
juries.”
OUTSTANDING—Warehouse manager F. T. Morrow (left), pre
sents a $25 U.S. Savings Bond to Alonzo Setzer, recognizing him as
most outstanding fork-lift driver of 1959. Mr. Setzer won this same
award in 1957 and was second-place winner in 1958. Other drivers
honored for 1959 performance were Irving Worthy who received
$10 for second place; and Will Starnes (right) $5 for third place.
Industries Depend On Each Other
In Order To Produce And Prosper
In the American free-enterprise system of business,
manufacturing and sales organizations must depend upon
each other in order to exist and prosper.
The textile industry utilizes the services of hundreds of
suppliers, large and small. These facts are examples:
• The US textile industry spends as much as $800 mil
lion annually for chemicals.
• To move its production, the country’s textile industry
spends as much as $186 million for transportation every
year,
• The American textile industry spends about $16 mil
lion each year for paint; another $7 million for hardware.
POINTS ON WINTER DRIVING
Do Something About the Weather? You Can!
Akron Publication
To Mark 45th Year
The Firestone Non-Skid, em
ployee newspaper of the com
pany’s home factories in Akron,
Ohio, this month will mark its
45th anniversary of continuous
publication.
On January 15, 1915 the house
publication was first issued. The
title “Non-Skid’' referred to the
company’s trade name for tires
belonging to the early chapters
of automobile history. Tread
was made up of the words
“NON” and “SKID” in capital
letters at an angle across the
face of the tire.
As a pioneering journal in
the industrial field, the Akron
employee publication has played
an influential role in the Fire
stone company’s development
across the years.
Firestone was among the first
of American industries to recog
nize the value of the printed-
page type of communication
with employees. Today, the
company has 12 employee pub
lications at its major United
States and Canadian factories,
and several at its foreign in
stallations.
January, 1960
After the wine-like air of autumn has turned
to an icy breath which often invades the Mid-
South in January and February, it’s time to
reckon with those villains of winter driving.
In summer the job of driving a motor vehicle
is fairly easy, with roads free of such hazards as
snow and ice, and windshields usually clear. Too,
there are more hours of daylight at morning and
evening rush hours, when people are on their
way to or from office and factory.
But for winter driving, there is an altogether
different situation behind the steering wheel. This
reminder is from the National Safety Council.
Many motorists, says the NSC, duped into con
fidence of a summer driving pattern, may find
themselves unprepared for the added dangers of
winter driving.
BASED on information from the council, here
are questions on some finer points of winter
driving.
: : If my car starts to skid on glare ice, what
should I do?—Keep your foot off the brake and
steer in the direction of the skid.
: : Is there any way to stop quickly on icy
pavement?—No, but a fast pumping of brakes will
stop you the quickest and allow you to keep con
trol of the car.
; ; How fast should I drive in winter?—That
depends. It takes you 12 times as far to stop on
ice or snow as it does on dry surfaces.
The following driving tips are the basis of a
good review on winter-driving practices:
1. Orient your driving habits and renew your
determination to avoid accidents. Put your car in
condition for winter going.
2. Remember the usefulness of snow tires.
3. Keep windshield and windows clear. Make
sure your wipers, heater and defroster are work'
ing properly.
4. When you are out on the road—but away
from traffic—try your brakes gently to get the
“feel” of the road.
5. Follow other vehicles at a safe distance. R®'
member that stopping formula: It takes up to 12
times to stop on ice and snow as it does on dry
pavement.
6. The best way to stop on winter roads, while
still keeping full control of your car, is a fast up'
and-down pumping of your brakes.
Did somebody say you couldn’t 'do anythiii^
about the weather?
You can. You can be ready for it!