OCT 11 1966
October is wrap-up lime for county and regional fairs
I^own South. This art arrangement by a member of Variety
Garden Club of Firestone is emblematic of Harvest Days,
^nd a lead-in to a listing of late-season fairs and festivals in
the travel article on page 4
Hamrick Paid $50 For Loom
8 OTHER AWARDS Improvemciit
A production method or relat
ed operations can become so
commonplace that you’re likely
to overlook possible improve-
•^ents toward greater efficiency,
Savings and other benefits that
’'^ight result.
Sut Charles Hamrick of the
roller shop looks closely. This
habit recently led to a mechani
cal detail on a loom and the
suggested change earned him
$50.
He had studied the loom shut-
^le-box assembly, noticed some
inefficiency and unnecessary
^6ar in the guide which helps
keep the shuttle on its ap
pointed trips across the warp, as
fabric is being woven.
He suggested a re-design of
right-hand box front as re
placements become necessary. It
estimated that the idea in
^se will result in at least $500
pavings a year in materials, la-
and reduced down time.
While Hamrick was sharing
improvement with the Sug-
JCing
Manager
Of SC
^^lant
^alph King, who a year ago
Returned to the Gastonia plant
Join a three-year assignment in
^outh
'^ger
^ho
as
America, became man-
of Firestone Textiles at
^^nettsville, S. C., Oct. 1.
succeeds E. F. Sweeney
retired after several years
manager of the Bennettsville
Plant.
The King family went from
^stonia to the company’s Bue-
Aires, Argentina textile
in the summer of 1962.
^Iph began there as assistant
anager and was later advanc-
to manager. When he return-
^ l^ere, he was succeeded by
Farmer, who also went
f,, Argentina from the Gastonia
Plant.
^ ^alpb
joined the Firestone
-"^^Pany at Gastonia in late
Tir«$ton«
OCTOBER • 1966
GASTONIA
NORTH CAROLINA
Sales And Earnings Set Record
THIRD
QUARTER
gestion System, 8 others on the
job had approved ideas in the
most recent group to be process
ed. here.
Pearl Aldridge and Louella
Queen of quality control divided
a $20 award for a suggested re
positioning of yardage clocks on
cable twisters.
Other cash awards went to
Reginald Rhyne of nylon treat
ing, who suggested installation
of an exhaust fan; Gertrude Mc
Daniel of preparation—s t r a w
dispensers on refreshment wag
on; Mayzelle Lewis of weaving
(syn)—pipe coverings on splic
ers; Ruth Yates of weaving
(cotton)—signs on Air-Lec doors;
Belladona Barker of quality
control—loom creel guards; Al
bert Wylie of weaving (cotn)—
relocated loom switch; Peggy
Lovelace of industrial relations
—new position for telephone.
These suggestions involved
added safety and convenience,
improved work conditions and
increased efficiency.
South American assignment. A
native of Abbeville, S. C., he is
a graduate of Clemson Univer
sity with a BS degree in textile
manufacturing.
He had 10 years experience
with two of South Carolina’s
leading textile companies be
fore coming to Gastonia.
Mrs. King is also from Abbe
ville. The King children are
Treshia, 13; Ralph Jr., 12; and
Barry 5.
Bible Week
THE BIBLE; BOOK OF WIS
DOM AND TRUTH is theme of
the 26lh annual National Bible
Week Observance for all faiths,
Oct. 17-23, 1966.
The best third-quarter and nine-month periods in the
company’s history were reported in September. Chairman
Raymond C. Firestone and president Earl B. Hathaway re
ported sales totaling $1,327,410,632 and earnings of $70,755,-
495 for the nine months ending July 31.
The nine-month sales figure be on many new models and are
increased 14.6 per cent over the
1965 figure of $1,158,186,595.
The earnings figure is 18 per
cent greater than third-quarter
profit of $22,736,941 in 1965 and
represents the most profitable
three-months period in the com
pany’s 66-year history.
“Sales and earnings,” said the
officers, “continue to reflect ef
forts of management and all em
ployees to improve sales vol
ume, the quality of our pro
ducts, efficiency of all opera
tions, and to reduce production,
distribution and operating costs
in all divisions of our business.”
They added that Firestone re-
search-development engineers
will keep on striving for ad
vancements in all fields in which
the company is involved.
“Our company is supplying
automakers with their greatest
array of passenger-car tires for
1967 models. The advance-de-
sign DeLuxe Champion, the F-
100 Radial-Ply tire and the
Super Sports Wide Oval will
available to the replacement
market.
“Each of these tires offers
many advantages, all developed
and proven in our vast research
and development departments.”
The officers, announcing the
sales-earnings, also pledged con
tinued advancements in steel
products, plastics, industrial
products, synthetics, and coated-
fabrics materials.
• L. J. Campbell (center), a director and the company’s
vice president of non-tire operations, came from Akron liead-
quarters to Gastonia for a management conference in Sep
tember. At one of the meetings he was photographed with
Harold Mercer (right), president of the Firestone Textiles
Company; and J. B. Call, director of manufacturing, do
mestic non-tire plants.
They Helped Put Music In Viet Nam Chapel
“What can we do to help?” Margie Waldrep asked her
self and others at work around her in the cloth room. But
before she came to the job, she’d wept awhile. It started
with a letter from her son, S/Sgt. Charles Waldrep with the
3rd Marine Division in Viet Nam,
He wrote of efforts of the goodness of God—constructed a
American troops at setting up a
worship chapel in DaNang. He
sent a photo of inside the tent
chapel, a man’s white handker
chief being used as an altar
cloth.
Mrs. Waldrop took the story
to her friends. Ruby McAllister
gave $25 and contributions fol
lowed from 15 other Firestone
people. By the time the WMU
and Brotherhood of Loray Bap
tist Church joined the cause,
Mrs, Waldrep was able to send
$180 to the chapel fund,
Sgt. Waldrep backgrounds the
story through a letter received
by industrial relations.
"PLEASE put a note in your
employee publication about
some of the people I can proud
ly say are from HOME, In Viet
Nam we have to make do with
what we can get. We of the 9th
Motor Transort Bn,, 3rd Marine
Division—by the providence and
‘Shape of The Future’ Circulating
1961
1^0 begin preparation for the
The company’s 1966 movie on
auto racing at Indianapolis
Speedway is now in general
circulation, after having been
shown on more than 200 televi
sion stations across the country,
“Shape of the Future” brings
to the screen all the excitement
and thrills of the 50th running
of the Memorial Day Classic,
Prints of the film are avail
able for free borrowing through
Association Films regional li
brary at Oakmont, Pa,, and at
four other distribution stations
in the United States,
For information on it, inquire
at the Gastonia plant industrial
relations office.
chapel in which to worship,
“It is built upon a hard-back
tent frame 48 x 16 feet, the ex
terior louvered and screened.
We were very proud of our
chapel—but one thing was lack
ing! We had no music, I wrote
my mother of our need for taped
music and a PA system to ac
company our singing. She got a
fund started,
“Our chaplain has received
the check from Gastonia, Now
our chapel is complete and on
Sunday morning as our schedule
permits, we can worship God.
And somehow it brings us closer
to home,
“ , , , Such an unselfish act
as you Gastonia people have
shown reminds us that America
is great—and I’m proud to be in
her uniform,
“Many thanks to contributors
of the chapel music fund: My
parents, Mr, and Mrs. J. A. Wal
drep of Firestone; also Firestone
employees Ruby McAllister, Al
vin Dill, J. B. Mitchell, Ray
Thomas, Ethel McAbee, Sarah
Ward, Larry Sanders, Mrs, J, C,
McClure, Ken Phillips, Bertie
Mahaffy, Inez Rhyne, Mildred
McLeymore, Tim Reynolds,
Keith Hamrick; and members of
the WMU and Brotherhood
groups of Loray Baptist.”
BEFORE entering the mili
tary, Sgt. Waldrep worked at
• Marine S/Sgt. Charles Wal
drep—"I'm proud to be wearing
the American uniform."
Firestone. On the Viet Nam as
signment for around seven
months, he first served an en
listment in the Air Force, then
four years in the Navy. He has
been in the Marinos nearly 18
years,
Mrs, Waldrep and their three
children are in Gastonia for the
remainder of Charles’ foreign
assignment.
Besides the chapel project, the
sergeant’s duty in Viet Nam has
offered many opportunities for
good will. He recently distribut
ed 100 copies of the Bible which
an aunt sent him from Walhalla,
S. C. Members of Gastonia Brad
ley Memorial Methodist Church
have sent “goodies” which Sgt.
Waldrep gave out to the delight
of native children.