Tir«$ton«
JANUARY • 1968
MIW
GASTONIA
NORTH CAROLINA
Suggestion System
Into 51st Year
In 1918, Harvey S. Firestone
launched for his company the
Suggestion System — a pioneer-
program in industry. Over
past half century the sys-
has been a way for the com
pany and its people to reap mu
tual rewards from useful ideas.
The Gastonia plant marked
50th birthday of the Sug-
program with a party in
late December. Plans were an
nounced for continued observ
ance of the anniversary year,
• With cake al party marking
anniversary of Suggestion Sys
tem (from left): S. E. Crawford,
Gastonia Zero Defects coordi
nator; L. B. McAbee, chairman
of plant Suggestion program;
R, E. Mack, manager of safety.
the chief aim being to increase
suggestion participation here.
The plant at Bennettsville,
S. C., also marked the anniver
sary with a party.
More than a half million ideas
have been submitted in the com
pany’s worldwide operation dur
ing the 50 years of the Sugges
tion program.
The Gastonia plant has par
ticipated in the program since
it began operating as a Fire
stone facility in 1935.
First GM Award
At Gastonia
• The first General Manager
Award in the Zero Defects pro
gram at Gastonia went to splic-
ing-weaving (synthetics) in late
1967. Department manager Carl
Rape received the poli hed wal
nut plaque from J. V. Darwin,
general manager (left). The
General Manager Award is pre
sented for top performance in
quality production, good house
keeping, leading number of ECI
reports, safety in practice, and
waste control. Award honors a
department for three months of
performance.
ft
Enthusiasm and optimism. These were key words which
Raymond C. Firestone used in his forecast for 1968. Looking
at the business picture, the company chairman and chief ex
ecutive officer said that shipments of tires and other ma
terials produced by our industry are expected to set records
again in 1968.
’68: Good Year For Industry
New Manager
Village Store
A veteran of the Firestone
company’s retail system and a
former high-school star athlete
was recently assigned as man
ager of Gastonia’s Dixie Village
Firestone Store.
Charles Robert Aydlett, 26,
a native of Charleston, S. C., is
a veteran of the U. S. Coast
Guard. He was once a star ath
lete with St. Andrews High
School in Charleston.
The store manager here spent
the past three years working
in Firestone sales outlets in
He added that replacement-
tire shipments by the industry
will go beyond 131 million units,
up more than 7 million from the
number shipped in 1967. Of this
total, 114 million will be pas
senger tires, 14.5 million will be
truck and bus tires and the re
mainder will be tires for trac
tors and farm implements.
Charleston, S. C.; Jacksonville
and Daytona Beach, Fla.; and
Mobile, Ala.
In Gastonia, Mr. and Mrs.
Aydlett arp memhprs nf the
Lutheran Church of the Re
deemer. They have a son. Chip,
age 2.
TO
new
Kentucky
S>LANT
k*
£
Vernon Lovingood Leroy Posey
Luiher Brown
l^eginnmg Production
Soon At Bowling Green
The basic management-
supervisory team of Fire
stone’s modern textile plant
^ Kentucky moved from
^^stonia to the Bowling
jr^feen area in early January,
^i^nited production at the
?^^lti-million-dollar facility
planned to begin this
“^onth.
new plant manager,
^ancis B. Galligan; and Claude
^ith Jr., production manager,
^®nt with seven other men who
been appointed to depart-
*^®ntal supervisory jobs.
are Vernon Lovingood,
®sse Liles, Leroy Posey, David
. ^^sch, Luther Brown, Alton
and J. C. Crisp.
GALLIGAN, with the
^®*^pany for the past 24 years
most of that time at Gas-
^la. Was most recently division
Perations manager with head
quarters at Gastonia. He left
Estonia with an impressive
record of service to the company
and to the community.
Among honors accorded him
upon leaving for his new as
signment were an appreciation
award from the Greater Gas
tonia United Appeal and a res
olution of honor from the Gas
tonia Rotary Club.
Claude Smith Jr., Bowling
Green plant production manager,
has been with Firestone approx
imately three years. During
most of this time he was man
ager of the Firestone textile
plant at Buenos Aires, Argen
tina. From that assignment, he
returned to Gastonia a few
months ago.
Six of the other men assigned
to the Bowling Green operation
have long records of service
with the Gastonia plant. The
seventh, David Hirsch, joined
the company in recent months,
upon graduation from college.
More on page 2
David Hirsch
FRANCIS
GALLIGAN
Plant
Manager
(left) and
CLAUDE
SMITH, JR.
Production
Manager
J. C. Crisp Jesse Liles
Alton Tarte
Fabric Builds Strength In Tire
Textiles shares in the diversified picture of Firestone’s An
nual Report for 1967, issued in December.
"Strength of a tire and its ability to minimize heat generated
by flexing of cord body at high speeds depends to a great ex
tent on the type and quality of fabric used." notes the Report.
It adds:
'‘Because of the importance of the fabric for tires. Firestone
makes its own tire cord. Firestone Textile Company operates
domestic plants at Gastonia, N. C. and Bennettsville, S. C. The
company is building a multi-million-dollar facility at Bowling
Green, Ky., which will produce nylon, rayon and polyester tire
cord fabric to help meet the growing needs of the tire plants."
And 48 million retreads—
slightly more than in 1967—are
expected to be shipped.
Other points in Mr. Firestone's
view of the 1968 year:
© Consumption of rubber in
the U.S. is expected to gain con
siderably, with synthetic rubber
usage totaling 1,855,000 long tons
in 1968, compared with 1,620,000
long tons in 1967; and natural
rubber consumption increasing
to 545 000 long tons this year
from 495,000 long tons last year.
® While domestic tire ship
ments are setting new records,
and the American economy con
tinues its upward trend, we are
keeping abreast of economic ex
pansion being experienced else
where in the Free World.
© Forecasters tell us that dur
ing 1938, the number of motor
vehicles in use outside the U.S.
• More on page 2
Twister Idea
Paid $50
Until a few weeks ago, the
studs in certain teeth gears on
cable twisters were too short.
The situation caused stripping
of the gears, resulting in lost
production and waste of ma
terials.
Now the situation is changed
because Charles M. Parham of
the shop figured out a better
way. He was paid $50 for his
suggestion last month. The idea
promises an estimated annual
savings of $500 in gear replace
ment, lost production and
waste.
Also in recent suggestion ap
provals, $15 went to Charlie
Mitchell of weaving (synthetics)
for his idea for an improved
stand on loom batteries.
And receiving $10 for sug
gestions; Gertrude McDaniel,
preparation, installation of air
hose over winders; K. C. Cau-
then, warehouse, identification
labels on fiber beams; Mildred
McLeymore, cloth room, hanger
for electric cord on sewing ma
chine; Leroy Whiting, cotton
weaving, safety hook on loom;
Linda Helton, industrial rela
tions, improved mimeographing.