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GASTONIA
VOL. IX
GASTONIA, N. C„ JULY, 1960
The lexlile industry came close to
setting a peacetime record for con
sumption of all fibers in 1959, when
consumption figures were the fourth
largest in history. That year, the in
dustry processed 6,802,100,000
pounds of raw materials. Synthetic
fibers accounted for 1.996,700,1000
pounds, or 29.4 per cent of the total.
NUMBER 8
CAMP FIRESTONE
And It’s Restful In The Mountains
’Neath The Trees Of Pointed Green
I
SUN-FUN: Mrs. Jesse Parks Jr. gets a dab of suntan lotion
from daughter Pamela Gail, while son James Douglas grows im
patient for the protected wading area at Camp Firestone on Lake
Ronald vfas slicudy lu ilie water when
this picture was made. Mr. Parks works in the Shop.
GO-BUT SAFELY
Feel a tug of the out-of-doors,
now that July has brought
choice days of the Sunny Sea
son? We welcome the varied
pleasures of the Good Ol' Sum
mertime: Sports, recreation,
travel, family picnics and all the
other fun activities under the
canopy of heaven.
Seaside resort . . . mountain
lodge, or wherever you go this
summf»r on vacation, shorter
trips—or while you stay closer
home, remember:
It's Fun, But Play It Safe!
Think of the other fellow, as
well as yourself. We want you
all back, after the fun is over!
Specialized training helps a
man forge ahead in his job.
Chris E. Folk has seen this truth
demonstrated time after time.
The principal of North Carolina
Vocational Textile School at
Belmont reaffirmed his belief
that education helps out in life,
when he announced that a Fire
stone employee had been select
ed to receive the school’s top ci
tation for 1960 — the Honor
Award sponsored by the Tex
tile Veterans Association of
New York City.
Fred J. Davis, third shift chief
inspector in Quality Control,
received the three-inch bronze
medallion award symbol at the
17th annual commencement ex
ercises of NCVTS on June 8.
He won the honor on the basis
of his having completed four
courses in the curriculum, and
his superlative grade and per
formance record in all subjects.
At the time Davis began tak
ing courses at the school in 1955
he was working a day shift at
the mill here, so he attended
evening classes.
"WHEN this student first en
rolled, he was laying up roving
in Spinning,” principal Folk re
called. Then, some five years
later—when C. B. Hipps retired
from Quality Control — Davis
Lake James, leading at
traction at Camp Firestone
near Bridgewater and Nebo,
N, C., is one of 20 public fish
ing lakes featured in the lat
est 70-page guidebook to
fishing and hunting in North
Carolina.
“Let's Go Fishing raid Hunt
ing in North Carolina”, publish
ed by the NC Department of
Conservation and Development,
lists Lake James among “100
top fishing spots” in the western
section of the State.
Most attractive feature at the
company-owned wildwood vaca
tion facility is Lake James'
water surface of appro>dmately
6,500 acres, affording the best
in fishing, boating and other
forms of water sports.
On the lake and its well-wood-
ed shores, employees and mem
bers of their families can enjoy
the best in relaxation in the
heart of the storied Blue Ridge
Mnijnt.pins The camp i? a good
point of departure for unlimit
ed tours and side trips in a vast
mountain empire covering por
tions of three states.
Camp Firestone is in its 25th
consecutive spring - to - autumn
was chosen to step into the job
of chief inspector on third shift.
At the vocational school’s
commencement program last
month, 113 graduates received
diplomas and 33 others received
certificates for work completed.
NCVTS, on Wilkinson boule
vard, is the only school of its
kind in the United States. In
regular terms throughout the
season. Reservations for a free
stay at the camp are made
through the industrial relations
office here. Watch the weekly
Recreation Bulletin for a listing
of facilities available at Camp
Firestone.
New QC Director
For Tire Plants
R. J. Luebbers has been nam
ed director of quality control
and technical service for Fire
stone’s U.S. and Canadian tire
plants. Mr. Luebbers, a recent
visitor to the Gastonia plant,
was advanced from manager of
technical service for U.S. and
Canadian tire plants, a job he
had held since 1958.
Since joining the company in
1943, the Dayton, Ky., native
has held several responsible jobs
in development, tire engineer
ing 'loecifications statisticul
quality control and technical
service.
In his new position he will
also have responsibility for the
chemical laboratories in the
plants.
year it offers both foundational
and advanced courses in yarn
manufacturing, mill mainten
ance (machine shop), weaving
and designing, knitting, and
tailoring.
Class hours are arranged so
that a person can work any one
of three shifts a day and still
schedule courses at the school.
In the program of study the
student has approximately one-
third of his schedule in class
room and theory, with the other
two-thirds in lab or practical
application.
Port-Jerome Unit
In Construction
June 8 marked beginning of
construction for Firestone’s mul-
timillion-dollar plant for syn
thetic rubber production at
Port-Jerome in Nothern France.
Harvey S. Firestone Jr., chair
man and chief executive officer
of the company, led the ground
breaking ceremony.
In Europe on an inspection
tour of the company’s facilities.
he said the Port-Jerome plant
should be completed sometime
next year. A tire manufacturing
plant, under construction at
Bethune, France, will be finish
ed late this year. i
At first, the Port-Jerome plant
will turn out some 10,000 long
tons of synthetic rubber and
latices per year.
Decision to locate on the 75-
acre tract in Port-Jerome was
made because of its excellent
OUTSTANDING—Fred Davis (left) receives Textile Veterans
Association Honor Award from principal Chris E. Folk of NC
Vocational Textile School. With them is Clarence W. Donaldson Jr.
of Twisting (synthetics), who earned a diploma in the weaving-de
signing course.
More on page 4
290 Vehicles Need Fixin’
Of the 1,024 cars, trucks and other motor vehicles
processed in safety-check lanes in this year’s “Circle
of Safety” program at the Gastonia plant, 290 got
“thumbs down” because of one or more accident-
causing defects.
And of the 290 found defective on one or more of
the ten checked points of safe-driving condition, 142
of them were repaired and brought back for an OK.
There was a total of 882 “originals”; 142 of them
came back for re-processing.
Out-of-order rear lights—140 of them—topped the
list of defects. Next in line were tires, with 94 defects;
then front lights, with 70.
Further examination of the summary report of
vehicles checked this year revealed defects occurring
in this order of frequency;
Exhaust, 30; brakes, 22; horn, 5; windshield wipers,
4; glass, 1; steering mechanism, 1. No defects were
found on rear view mirrors.
This was the third year the company has made the
free inspection available to employees and to other
motorists in the Gastonia area.
The company operates the program each spring in
localities where it has major manufacturing facilities
and sales outlets. It is promoted in cooperkion with
the Inter-Industry Highway Safety Committee, which
provides free safety lanes in more than 1,000 com
munities in the several states which do not have a law
requiring motor vehicle inspection.
AT TEXTILE SCEIOOL
Davis Top Student Of 1960