NOVEMBER
1973
Ttre$tone
GASTONIA BENNETTSVILLE BOWLING GREEN
NORTH CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA KENTUCKY
Firestone people at the Gastonia Plant
made pledges of $44,398.84
in the October United Appeal Campaign
This figure is among the largest in the county
United Appeal effort toward reaching the $685,114
goal this year for the 1974 operation of 34 people-help
services. It exceeds the Firestone people’s contribution
last year by $2,350.19—an increase of 5.59 percent.
The pledges totaling $44,-
398.84 to be delivered
through payroll deduction
were made by 1,387 con
tributors during the UA
campaign in October.
From the total who gave, con
tributions averaged $31.20. The
number giving 'Fair Share' was
989.
Coordinator of the in-plant
UA collection effort was John
V. Darwin, administrative as
sistant to Firestone Textiles
President James B. Call.
Textiles
From 1947 to 1972 the apparel,
textiles and leather industry in
Kentucky grew by 90 percent
at the same time the U.S. aver
age decreased around 10 percnt.
The industry also provided 19,-
500 new jobs in Kentucky dur
ing the same 25-year period.
These were among highlights
of “25 Years of Progress”, a re
port recently issued by Ken
tucky Department of Commerce.
Kentucky has one of the long
est-standing economic develop
ment programs in the nation.
CHAIRMEN for the campaign
were M. J. Nichols, Preparations
department manager; and E. W.
(Bill) Passmore, employment in
terviewer.
Assisting them were several
dozen department managers, su
pervisors and other volunteer
helpers in supervision, produc
tion and administration through
out plant, warehouses and of
fices.
Nichols and Passmore an
nounced that this year’s sharing
represented by the record
amount pledged . . shows the
Figuring in the “25 Years of
Progress” picture was Fire
stone Textiles Company’s Bowl
ing Green plant, a major
producer of tire fabrics in the
state. It went into operation in
early 1968 and since has under
gone major expansion.
The 36-page “Progress” bro
chure documents the state’s
quarter-century of development
achievements since the Ken
tucky Agricultural and Indus
trial Development Board was
initiated by then Gov. Earl
Clements in 1948.
great spirit and compassion
which you, the employees, have
for the needs of others.
“You can have the satisfaction
that thousands of people will be
helped and encouraged by your
contributions, giving many new
hope in life.
“Each contributor has good
reason to be proud and happy.
And we add our sincere con
gratulations to you on a job
well done. THANKS TO YOU
—IT’S WORKING!”
The United Way campaign
and service area includes all
of Gaston County except Bel
mont, Bessemer City and Mc-
Adenville, communities which
have United Fund programs of
their own.
SINCE MANY Firestone peo
ple at the Gastonia plant live
in these and other outlying
communities, some give to
United Appeal programs at
work and in their home towns.
Others of such employee towns
are York and Clover in South
Carolina; Lincoln ton, Shelby,
and Kings Mountain in North
Carolina. • More, page 2
15 Years
J. M. Driggers attained the
most recent 15-year employ
ment service record at Bennetts-
ville. Plant manager E. E. Fuller
presented the service lapel pin
to Driggers, a plant supply clerk.
OF THE PEOPLE
People
• • David Adams has
w^orked at Firestone Tex
tiles Company’s Gastonia
plant since eary 1941. Quite
a few of his years of service
were spent on jobs in cotton
processing. He was one of
the last to work in carding
The company’s matching-gift
program, now in its seventh
year, offers employees an oppor
tunity to donate to colleges, uni
versities, and private secondary
schools and have Firestone
match an equal contribution.
THE GIFT program provides
that when an employee or
spouse of an employee contri
butes up to $1,000 per year to
an accredited tax-supported col
lege or university in the United
States, or up to $2,000 per year
to any accredited non-taxsup-
ported college, university or
secondary school, the company
will donate an equal amount.
An employee must donate at
least $25 in a given year for the
gift to be matched. Employees
who have at least one year of
Robert D.
Thomas
A moment of silence re
specting the memory of Rob
ert D. Thomas was observed
throughout the Firestone or
ganization Oct. 15.
Mr. Thomas, a director and
former president of the Fire
stone Company, died in
Akron, Ohio, Oct. 14. Funer
al was in Akron, Oct. 15.
During his 40 years of ac
tive service with the com
pany, he made many contri
butions to its success.
when, nearly a year ago, the
plant phased out that opera
tion along with others in cot
ton production.
Adams — a good example
of people who adapt to
changing ways—is a beamer
operator in the Preparation
department, working alto
gether with chemically-pro
duced materials. Here, he
was beaming nylon mono
filament.
consecutive service with Fire
stone or one of its majority-
owned subsidiaries are eligible.
Ask for application forms at
the industrial relations office of
the plant where you work.
Booklets outlining full details
of the program are available
from the comptroller of any of
Firestone’s plants. Herbert T.
McDevitt is contributions pro
gram coordinator at the com
pany’s Akron, Ohio, headquar
ters.
Safety
Achievement
Well beyond 2,000,000
manhours operation without
a lost-time injury. That’s the
plant record for Firestone at
Bennettsville.
In celebration of this achieve
ment, all employees and their
families had a Safety Recogni
tion Picnic this fall.
Some 450 persons attended the
three-hour program held in the
field south of the plant. Events
participated in by employees
were a softball game, horseshoe
tournament, and bingo with
prizes. For children: Pony and
firetruck rides, and lots of
balloons. Raincaps were favors
for the women.
And for everybody; A ham
sursper with all the ‘fixings’.
Following supper, there was a
drawing for prizes.
• • On Lake James, before the leaves started stone families. On one cove of the Lake the
falling at the close of another Spring-lo-Autumn =°“Pany operated an employee recreation camp
for more than Ihree decades. Some Firestone
recreation season. This scene near Bridgewater people continue to make the Lake James area a
in Burke County, N. C., is familiar to many Fire- favorite place to visit.
wEiMN Kentucky
Let Firestone Match Gift
Further the cause of higher education: contribute to an
educational institution and let Firestone match your gift
dollar-for-dollar.