1
JUNE
1970
S!5IiW
GASTONIA
NORTH CAROLINA
• Magan Patel (left) and Chi-
man Patel grew up in "textile
country" of India. For them
now, it's tire-fabric production
at the Firestone Gastonia plant.
In their home country, the hori
zontal hand loom (forerunner,
in principle, of the loom on
which they are working here)
was perfected nearly 3,000 years
ago.
1970 Scouting Awards
“Richard has a fine record in Scouting, and deserves the
honor” (the Raymond C. Firestone Award for 1970), recom
mended Ralph F. Johnson, Firestone employee relations
manager and coordinator of the company’s Boy Scout Hon
ors program in Gaston County.
For Richard Theodore Redano
FROM
INDIA
To Work And To Learn
From the southwest coast
of India on the Arabian Sea
and Indian Ocean, to the
United States and Gaston
County:
To learn and to work.
Although they have the same
last name, Magan P. Patel and
Chiman M. Patel are not relat
ed. Their hometowns are near
each other back home.
The Gaston Community Col
lege students have been on the
second shift at Firestone since
late March. They like their
work as loom starters, and
sometimes they get to try their
hand at weaving.
"SINCE COMING here, many
of our friends told us of Fire
stone. So we were glad they
took us when we applied for a
job during our stay at Gaston
College,” said Magan.
The students had known of
Firestone back in India, es
pecially because of the com
pany’s two plants located in
that country — Bareilly (buta-
daine, synthetic rubber and
styrene), and Bombay (tires and
tubes).
Magan is from Motipura;
Chiman, from Vadu. Both towns
are near Ahmedabad, north
west of Bombay.
"Ahmedabad, with more than
a half-million population is a
big textile center—cotton mills
and other factories which
process all the modern synthetic
fibers," notes Chiman.
Magan, at Gaston College the
past two quarters, is studying
for a career in civil engineering.
In the U.S. the past two years,
he came at the urging of a
brother who went to college in
this country and stayed on as an
engineer in Chicago.
Back home, Magan has three
more brothers and three sisters.
Of his many memorable ex
periences, Magan likes to recall
his trip to Chicago and Detroit
—with their pictures of bustling
commerce and industry, and the
contrasting primitive atmos
phere of Mackinac Island “at
the top end of Michigan.”
"MACKINAC'S quaint and
Old World-like,” he remembers.
“No motorcars — just horse-
• More, Page 4
there were other high recom
mendations. Bruce Wofford, his
Scoutmaster, said:
“He is a very bright boy . . .
shows a lot of Scout enthusiasm;
helps the younger boys at meet
ings. Knows his Scout work
well.”
Added Father Gregory of St.
Michael’s Church:
“He is a lad of high ideals,
loyal, adaptable, studious, and
ambitious in the right way.”
So, for outstanding excellence
in Scouting, Richard Redano be
came the 25th Gaston County
Boy Scout to receive the Fire
stone company's high honor.
Presentation was at the annual
Scout Dinner in the plant recre
ation center. May 21.
The award, presented by
James B. Call, president of
Firestone Textiles Company, is
symbolized by the prized Silver
Medallion. Richard also receiv
ed a $100 U.S. Savings Bond,
and a company check of $23.60
to apply on expenses for a
week’s stay at Schiele Scout
Reservation in Polk County, or
for his purchase of scouting
equipment.
Richard was singled out from
among 35 Gaston County Scouts
who were all recognized for
their noteworthy achievement
over the past year.
The other 34 each were pre
sented a Certificate of Merit
‘We’re Looking
For Your Suggestion’
At least one suggestion
job during the year. That’s
committee at Gastonia and
plants during 1970.
And the harvest of ideas is
always ripe, reminds William
D. Teague, chief accountant
in main office and chairman
of the Gastonia Firestone
plant committee on sug
gestions.
“When your suggestions have
merit and promise a useful ap
plication with our company,
everyone will benefit and the
author of the idea gets paid for
sharing it,” Teague adds.
One good thing to keep re
membering, he continues, is that
payment for suggestions is based
on their projected value to the
company.
' The suggestion committee
makes every effort to carefully
and fairly consider each sug
gestion turned in. The value of
each idea is thoroughly studied
from every person on the
the goal of the suggestion
at Bennettsville Firestone
and weighed and when it
shows merit, the committee as
signs a price payment to the
person who turned it in.
Ralph Johnson, manager of
employee relations and secretary
of the Gastonia suggestion com
mittee, points up three major
ways a person on the job can
“glean a harvest of ideas”:
• Examine Your Own Job.
Some of the best ideas spring
from this source. Since you are
familiar with your own work,
you are in a good position to
examine such questions as “Is
there an easier way?” “Is this
step _ or _ process necessary?”
“How can I improve the quality
of my work?” “Can I do it
■quicker, better, and'with less
effort?”*
• Make A Breakdown Of
Your Job. Try jotting down all
operations by steps, and think
of which ones might be elimi
nated or improved upon by your
ideas. Put each one on paper
and study it through. Make
some sketches if you think that
will help put across your think
ing. Such artwork need not be
fancy.
• Develop The Observation
Habit. Look all around you, be-
yound your own job “circle.”
From an almost endless list,
here are some things to look
for:
Operations that can be sim
plified, combined, rearranged,
refined. Needless operations or
parts of operations.
Eliminating needless work,
overlapping effort, wasted time.
Improving methods of produc
tion. How about better equip
ment to do a better job?
Reducing or eliminating waste
materials. Adding convenience;
promoting safety; improving
worker relationships.
“As you look for ideas, you’ll
see that this list can grow much
longer,” says Johnson, and adds:
“We’re looking for your sug
gestion.”
and a $23.60 check for camp ex
penses or for equipment.
Richard Redano, a member of
Gastonia Troop 13, is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph R.
Redano, 1612 Belmar Drive. He
has been in Scouting since late
RICHARD REDANO
MEDALLION WINNER
1967. Richard, who will be 14 in
July, is an Eagle Scout with 24
Merit badges. He attends St.
Michael’s School and Church.
Among the 34 Scouts receiv
ing Certificates of Merit was
Jon S. Ward, 1969 winner of the
Medallion top awad. Jon is in
Gastonia Troop 25,
The other 33 honored at the
May 21 dinner:
• More. Page 2
• Richard Redano, winner of inscribed Silver Medallion, con
gratulated by James B. Call, president of Firestone Textiles Com
pany. With them is Scout's pastor, Fr. Gregory Eichenlaub of St.
Michael's Church.
Booklet Tells About Tires
A car rides on four “rubber footprints” not much larger
than a page in The Reader’s Digest magazine. And since a
car’s directional control, roadability and riding comfort are
greatly dependent on the tires, you ought to carefully select
and maintain your tires.
These are facts from a Fire
stone-sponsored consumer guide
to tires, tire safety, maintenance
and performance, the guide a
removable section of the June
issue of The Reader's Digest.
• Carol (Mrs. Michael) Payne,
secretary in the quality control
department at Gastonia, wants
you to have a copy of the Fire
stone consumer guide to tires.
The booklet, “Where the Rub
ber Meets the Road”, has 12
pages of illustration and text
describing types of tire con
struction, tire sizes and other
terms. It has a questionnaire as
a tire-buying guide, has advice
on maintenance, tells how tires
are engineered and tested.
INCLUDED in the booklet is
a certificate for a complimen
tary tire-rotation and inspection
service. The company is making
the offer to encourage motorists
to get started on a regular pro
gram of tire care.
The booklet, intended to
“clear up confusion about tires,”
deals with basic construction
and different types of tires, ad
vice on tire maintenance, and
other helpful information.
Additional copies of “Where
the Rubber Meets the Road”, in
cluding quantities for driver-
training classes or other groups,
are available at no cost from the
company’s consumer relations
department.
Firestone employee inquiries
in the Gastonia and Bennetts
ville locations may be made to
the personnel office of either
plant.