I I I I
GASTONIA • NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME X - NUMBER 9
AUGUST, 1961
Tir«$ton«
AUG 7 1961
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Photo: N.C. News Bureau and Brevard Chamber of Commerce
Sightseeing from Camp Firestone
In The Land
Of Waterfalls
Employees who travel to
the tall-timber country of
North Carolina’s Blue Ridge
Mountains for a stay at
Camp Firestone, appreciate
the variety and color of
sightseeing-recreation attrac
tions in the Southern High
lands.
Those who stay a spell at
the company-operated camp
on Lake James near Marion
discover that it is an ideal
starting point for an unlimit
ed number of interesting
tours in a five-state area.
Take this example of
scenic beauty: Whitewater
Falls, Nantahala National
Forest near Brevard. Foam
ing over 411 feet of stone
precipice, it is the highest of
a group of waterfalls in
Southwestern N. C., sharing
honors for scenic grandeur
with Looking Glass, Cones-
tee, Bridal Veil, Cullasaja,
Toxaway, Dry Falls and oth
ers.
Camp Firestone’s 26th sea
son extends into October,
when autumn’s color is at
its peak.
The Red Cross
Bioodmobiie
Is Coming
Firestone Recreation Center
Wednesday, Sept. 6,1961
Hours: 11 a. m. to 5 p. m.
Spooling-Winding and Twisting (cotton)
Twice Winner Of G-H Banner
Spooling-Winding, and Twisting (cotton), as a combined
department, has won the “good-housekeeping” banner two
months in succession since the safety department at Gastonia
began offering the “shipshape” incentive award in June
this year.
The good-housekeeping pro
gram itself was begun almost
a year ago. It is based upon a
monthly inspection, guided by
a checklist of 10 major points
of emphasis of orderly, efficient
shopkeeping.
To make inspection tours, all
production supervisors are as
signed in three teams. Each
month the teams inspect a dif
ferent department (not their
Slechta And Others
Cash In On Ideas
James J. Slechta of the Me
chanical Department (electric
shop) was awarded $25 in June
for his suggestion toward the
improvement of automatic lu
brication equipment on ply
twister frames. His was the
largest award for an idea here
in the past several months.
Also in June, Leon Dawkins
was credited with a suggestion
worth $20. The idea concerned
improvement of overhead clean
ing in his department.
And in June five others were
each awarded $10 for sugges
tions:
Charles A. Dorsey, Twisting
(synthetics): Use of Gloves in
twisting room.
Jesse F. Liles, Weaving (cot
own), and rate conditions ac
cording to the standardized
checklist which the safety de
partment supplies.
Check-Poinls In 10 Areas
Departments winning the
good-housekeeping banner are
selected through a point sys
tem based on existing condi
tions of the 10 major areas of
the checklist. These are: Floors,
aisles, stock, waste and trash
cans, tools, machines and other
production equipment, safety
guards, fire-fighting materials
and equipment and stretchers;
doors, and storage.
Comments plant safety super
visor Ralph Johnson:
“The department earning the
good - housekeeping banner
proudly displays it in a choice
location, as a reminder that or
derliness and perpetual cleanup
are among the chief keys to ef
ficient, safe production.”
ton): Holders for Cloth on loom
standards.
Payton R. Lewis, Carding:
Tension-control Shaft on slub
bers and intermediates.
James Reel, Weaving (syn
thetics) : Boxes for waste ma
terials.
W. H. Davis, Shop: Guard
Rail on industrial power truck.
New Peak Seen
For Tire Sales
By Next Year
Record sales of replace
ment tires in 1981 will prime
the tire industry for the big
gest year in its history, com
pany president Raymond C.
Firestone observed in speak
ing to dealers in the San
Francisco district last month.
He predicted a record of 71
million replacement passenger
tires will be sold this year,
helping to make 1961 the sec
ond best year in history, despite
decreases in original-equipment
sales which accompanied the
drop in automobile production.
Increased production of auto
mobiles and trucks next year,
combined with a record of more
than 70 million vehicles already
on the road, will push tire sales
to a new peak in 1962, said Mr.
Firestone.
"Business has been on Ihe up
turn for several months and
gross national product and dis
posable personal income are ai
new highs/' the president noted.
Referring to California as an
example of a rich market for
tires, Mr. Firestone said:
“There are more cars in your
state than there are in 21 other
states combined, and two mil
lion more than in any other
single state. You have more
trucks than 17 other states com
bined, and 36 per cent more
than the State of Texas.
“This means $145 million in
passenger-tire sales and $45
million in truck tire sales this
year in California alone.”
The speaker implied that
much of this business is avail
able in the San Francisco Bay
area—the second largest market
west of Chicago, the sixth larg
est in the country, and one of
the five fastest-growing areas
in the country in population.
Certificates for Eleven Departments
Safe-Production Hours Past 5-Million Mark
Close to 5,200,000 production hours with
out a lost-time injury were reached at the
Gastonia plant by the end of July. The
milestone in safe operation covers the
period dating from September 30, 1959.
One of the more recent ways of recognizing
safety achievement here is through presentation
of the departmental certificates, issued from the
company’s headquarters in Akron.
Signed by president W. A. Karl of Firestone’s
North American and South American textile
plants, and by general manager Harold Mercer
of Gastonia, the certificates represent periods
of 5, 10, and 15 years of safe operation in a de
partment. They are distinguished by a border—
green for 5 years; silver for 10; and gold for
15 years.
The 5-year certificates represent a half-million
manhours; the 10-year, a million; and those for
15 years represent IV2 million hours of operation
free of a lost-time injury on the job.
As of mid-July, 11 departments at Gastonia
had earned certificates.
Main Office, Industrial Relations and Quality
Control departments are each due to receive a
15-year certificate.
Departments to be given 5-year recognition are
Twisting (synthetics); Twisting (cotton). Weav
ing (cotton), Nylon Treating, Warehouse, Wind
ing, and Spooling.
The award certificates will be framed at the
local plant.
Orville K. Forrester (left), overseer in Spool-
ing-Winding-Twisting (cotton), shows the new
certificate which recognizes departmental safety
achievement in Firestone plants. With him is
G. D. Cross, visiting here from Akron, Ohio in
July. Mr. Cross is manager of development and
ihe training of production management. He is
a former manager of safety for the company's
manufacturing plants.