GASTONIA • NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME XV-NUMBER 1
JANUARY • 1966
Tire$ton«
Your Symbol
of Quality
and Service
Do It Right
For Medical
Services
Now further suppose it _
take along your group
Doing things backwards can
cause delay and inconvenience.
Suppose you as a Firestone em
ployee decide to go to a doctor
or apply at a hospital for medi
cal services which call upon
your hospital group insurance.
IS not an emergency and that you
insurance claim forms—signed and
Completed on standard Firestone sheets.
What happens? Most likely you’ll be sent back after the com-
Pleted form before you get medical attention—delay and incon-
'^ience for you.
This means that following the correct procedui'e is most im
portant, reminds Mrs. Robert Kilby of the plant insurance office,
says:
“Unless an emergency would prevent you from doing it, always
up the required forms at the plant insurance office before
Soing for medical services. We will help you fill out the forms with
required information.”
FROST IN THE AIR • li's
ihe season to be riding in the
family car on Fireslone's winter
lires, reminds Joyce Lutz, who
works in main office, Gastonia.
Joyce looks out through Fire
stone winter tires, the Town &
Country (top and bottom) and
the Town & Country Ice Grip
(sides). More tires with the
winter design will be sold this
year than in any winter season
of the past—good news for Fire
stone people who produce the
tires.
These Tires
In Season
The tire industry shipped
more than 20 million new and
retread units of winter tires in
1965. Of this number, possibly
10 per cent were studded tires.
This became a new all-time
high in replacement winter tire
shipments, and Firestone sales
officials look forward to con
tinued gains in sale of these
tires in coming years. While
stating that 1965 new and re
tread winter shipments reached
around 20,310,000, they predict
the 1966 total may be 21,660,000.
An estimated 16 of every 100
new passenger tires sold in the
next year will be winter tires,
while 18 of every 100 retreads
will have the winter design.
With the Town and Country
tire and the Town and Country
Ice Grip studded tire, Firestone
is prepared to have a larger
share of the growing winter-tire
market.
Company Largest
These Two Ways
While tires are Firestone's
principal product, the com
pany is also the world's larg
est producer of rubber and
the world's largest manufac
turer of rims for trucks,
buses and tractors.
^e Have A Great Reputation To Keep
Into the record goes another calendar
Already begun is a new year of op-
l^^rtunity in our work and business of mak-
Firestone the symbol of quality and
Service to its customers and others around
world.
As we each review last year, we can
to many things for which we can be
^^isfied and proud. It was a great year in
^any ways. Individually, we all know what
® did or did not do on our jobs last year.
However good we might have been, none
f ought to be satisfied with past per-
^^ance.
With our new year before us, each of
s needs to consider “What can I plan and
^ to add something toward progress for
company and for myself during the
can make some plans and set some
sOals. Think of the fertile areas for our im-
Proved performance; Production efficiency,
giving for zero defects, in the goods we
poduce, cutting down waste in all its
extending safety and good house
keeping, better maintenance and upkeep,
improvement of job performance, reducing
absenteeism from the job, more participa
tion in the suggestion program.
On could go the list of areas for setting
goals to be realized this year. Each of us
knows our own realm of work opportunities
and how to make the most of them.
No one person can make our business the
success we want it to be. But each person
pooling his efforts with all the others who
are on the job, can lead us to the goals we
seek as a company.
COMPETITION helps us to greater
achievement. Meeting the challenge in 1966,
let us remember that each of us is defend
ing a noble reputation built upon our com
pany’s almost 66 years of progress.
Never forget that this reputation has been
established on quality products and ef
ficient services—the things that lead cus
tomers to buy our products and thus keep
us in business.
For this high quality and good service we
are all responsible.
Servings Earnings
Spending ^ Growing
THE
FIRESTONE
WORLD
“All divisions of our company expect increased sales
and profits for the year ahead,” said company chairman
Harvey S. Firestone Jr., and president Earl B. Hathaway, as
they reviewed the fiscal year ending Oct. 31, 1965.
“By continued improvement subsidiaries showed
and modernization of our equip
ment and methods, with ag
gressive merchandise plans and
enthusiastic competence of our
organization, we are in an ex
cellent position to meet chal
lenges of the new year.”
The fiscal year ended show
ing record net sales $1,609,756,-
478 and earnings of $86,667,178.
The officers reported net sales
increases in all divisions of the
business. The greatly increased
number of vehicles on the road
substantially expanded the mar
ket for replacement tires; and
record production of motor ve
hicles was an important prod to
the business, enlarging our mar
ket for original-equipment prod
ucts.
Sales and income of foreign
mcreases
over figures for the preceding
year.
While the company was sell
ing and earning, it was paying
operating expenses, taxes, social
security, other taxes: and spend
ing for expansion and improve
ment of facilities.
Taxes totaled $245,527,920 of
which $68,100,000 were income
taxes, $148,137,286 excise taxes,
$14,970,185 social security, and
$14,320,449 property and mis
cellaneous taxes. Tax payments
totaled $232,585,251 in 1964.
Expenditures for new facili
ties, additions and improve
ments reached a record $126,-
979,264. Depreciation expense
amounted to $54,960,041, a size
able increase over the previous
year.
Count Before You Crank
FOR
SAFETY
It’ij as easy as 3-2-1. The countdown takes but a minute
and it will make winter driving safer and more pleasant.
Before ‘launching’ your vehicle onto street or highway,
make the “countdown for safety”—whether upon beginning
a trip around the corner or much further down the road.
The six-step countdown is a 4 Enough time allowed to
part of a program of the Auto make the trip without rushing?
Indusrties Highway Safety
Committee.
A “no” to any of these five
questions is a clue for you to
take corrective action before
cranking up.
5 Car in safety condition—es
pecially brakes, lights, steering,
tires?
3 Driver set for possible
weather and traffic conditions
ahead?
2 Rest stops planned along
the way, if trip is long?
1 Seat bells fastened proper
ly?
0 A deep breath—relax, and
drive for safety.
Htt
n
I
Some of the Old South Out Front
The massive fence in front of main office displays its
charm in keeping with the traditional face of the Old South
in its distinctive wrought iron work of Charleston, Savannah
and New Orleans. Here is a portion of fence and double gate
of the ironwork which was added when main office was
enlarged to its present size in 1952.