reviewing 1968 - PREVIEWING 1969
Business Outlook Bright
American industry will continue to establish production
records in 1969. The new year will be one in which the na
tion’s disposable personal income will be at an all-time high.
Raymond C. Firestone, Chairman and Chief Executive Of
ficer of the Firestone company, made the observation in his
business forecast for 1969.
Mr. Firestone noted that the
economy of the United States
Will show continued improve-
rnents with the Gross National
Product (GNP) rising to about
$920 billion —an increase of some
seven per cent above the ex
pected 1968 record-breaking per
formance.
While the overall business
picture for 1969 appears bright,
^r. Firestone is most optimistic
over forecasts for the rubber in
dustry. Detailing the picture,
the company chairman made
these points:
• Total tire shipments for all
markets should be well over 200
million units, the all-time record
Which will be posted for 1968.
For example, passenger - tire
shipments are expected to set
records in 1969, for the 18th year
m a row.
Shipments of all replacement
tires (not including those ship
ped to original - equipment
manufacturers) in 1969 are ex
pected to be at record levels
totaling about 145 million units,
some 6 million tires more than
Anticipated 1968 shipments.
Of these 145 million replace
ment tires, some 126 million are
Expected to be passenger tires,
15.5 million truck tires, and the
remaining 3 million will be used
on tractors and farm imple
ments.
Then, some 52 million retread
tires of all kinds will be ship
ped, also setting records.
• U. S. consumption of syn
thetic rubber is expected to in
crease to 1,950,000 long tons in
1969. Natural rubber usage in
the U.S. should be about 560,000
long tons.
® Outside the U.S. tire ship
ments are expected to continue
large gains. The number of
motor vehicles outside the U.S.
now outnumbers those in the
U.S. Our production facilities in
all sections of the world are
being expanded to meet increas
ed demands for tires.
EARLY IN 1969, Firestone
will begin production in new
tire plants in Boras, Sweden,
and in Bonsaso, Ghana. Expan
sion projects are underway in
other plants throughout the
world.
• Our company next year ex
pects to spend close to $250 mil
lion for capital improvements.
This is a substantial increase
above our estimated $200 mil
lion capital spending for 1968.
—More on page 2
Boss
Of
Year
1968
fire$fon«
DECEMBER • 1968
GASTONIA
NORTH CAROLINA
• These sym
bols of the age
less and univers
al meaning of
Christmas were
arranged by
Annie (Mrs.)
Henry) Chastain
of weaving
(chafer).
Season’s
Greetings
From
JOHN V. DARWIN
Manager
Gastonia Plant
* I U * S * f *
pipa
i
the Spirit of Christmas radiates its eternal promise
of hope, love, peace and good will As you ponder the miracle
and glory of the First Cljristmas, may your faith be renemd,
your hearts gladdened by inspiration of the Eternal Message.
My sincere ivish is that this Christmas have rich meaning,
and the New Year bring happiness to you and yours.
Thomas A. Grant, manager of
•^ethods-time study at Fire
stone, Gastonia, received the
1968 “Boss of the Year” award
late November.
The Growing Beauty Chapter
the American Business
^Omen’s Association made the
Presentation as one of its an-
honors. Grant was selected
by
a panel of judges on the basis
a letter submitted by the
Methods - time study secretary,
*^anet (Mrs. Melvin) Ware.
• Thomas A. Grant, with 1968 26th Year For Firestone In Bennettsville
Boss" trophy; and Janet Ware
From all-cotton yarn production to tire-cord fabric of
synthetics exclusively. That transition is a big part of the
story of Firestone’s first quarter-century at its Bennettsville,
S. C., plant.
who nominated him.
Also sharing the spotlight
of recognition was Mrs. Hazel
Johnson, immediate past presi
dent of the Growing Beauty
chapter. She received the 1968
“Woman of the Year” trophy.
State Sen. Marshall Rauch
was guest speaker for the
awards dinner at Gaston Coun
try Club.
Along with the change have
come great strides in plant-lay-
out improvements, modernized
production methods and updat
ed equipment; outstanding per
formance in industrial safety,
product quality, and in com
munity service.
Scholarship Program Materials Ready
Information booklets and
application forms are now in
distribution for the 1969
firestone College Scholar
ship awards competition. The
^aterials are available at the
^^stonia industrial relations
office and at the Bennetts-
plant main office.
To interested high-school
seniors, “Start early” is the
suggestion from Alvin Riley,
Gastonia IR manager. He
points out that the new
Scholarship booklets which
explain the program fully,
incorporate some changes in
eligibility requirements and
provisions.
Application for scholar
ships are open to sons and
daughters of Firestone em
ployees who meet other re
quirements as outlined in the
1969 booklet.
Completed applications
must be received in the com
pany’s Akron headquarters
no later than the end of Feb
ruary.
The company textile operation
in Marlboro County—in its 26th
year now—continues as one of
the leading employers in the SC
Upper Coastal Plain.
Bennettsville’s plant is one of
the family of textile producers
of the parent-company division.
Firestone Synthetic Fibers and
Textiles Company. Other U.S.
fiber-fabric production facilities
of . the division are the plants at
Gastonia, Hopewell, Va. (head
quarters), and Bowling Green,
Ky.
FIRESTONE purchased the
Bennettsville facility in late
1943. The factory had been op
erated many years as a unit of
Marlboro Cotton Mills.
Firestone continued produc
tion wholly in cotton, but turn-
mg out tire fabrics instead of
yarn. During the war (WWII)
years, the schedule was geared
to defense needs.
After the war, synthetic pro
duction was added, but the big
changeover came in late 1966
when total production went to
manmade materials. In the shift,
Bennettsville cotton - processing
equipment—mostly looms—was
moved to Gastonia where some
of it is still in production.
Under Firestone ownership,
the first Bennettsville manager
was W, R. Crabtree. He and
some others of the original man
agement staff were transferred
from the Gastonia plant. Among
these was Garl Anderson who
retired this year.
F. B. Galligan, succeeding Mr.
Crabtree, remained manager un
til his transfer to the Gastonia
plant. Here, he was on the pro-
More on page 3