I^irestone
Textiles Company
MARCH • 1977
Gastonia Bcnmttsville BotvUng Green
North Carolina South Carolina Kentucky
11 YEARS OF SAFETY
MEMBER
NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCit
BENNETTSVILLE,S.C
$6.5 Million
Energy
Savings
That’s how much the Fire
stone company saved in the
first year of a five-year
worldwide energy-conserva-
tion program. A report on
the first year showed the
company ahead of its goal of
reducing energy consump
tion by 20 per cent overall
by 1980.
Company-wide savings for
fiscal 1976 amounted to more
than the energy used during
1976 for all of Firestone’s Akron,
Ohio, operations—including the
corporate headquarters, two tire
plants, a synthetic rubber plant,
central research operation, com
puter center and other facilities,
said Berndt K. Lyckberg, Fire
stone’s corporate manager of
energy utilization.
The company figures energy
consumption in terms of BTUs
required to produce one pound
of product (an exception is Fire
stone Textiles Company where
it is a yard of tire fabric). Taken
into account are all forms of
energy used: Fuel oil, coal, elec
tricity, natural gas.
Four More ‘Went Out’
For four Firestone (Gastonia) people, it was “so
long” to payroll checks, bobbins, twister frames,
supervisors’ tasks and the plant powerhouse. All
closing long careers, they had their first day of
retirement March 1.
• Beatrice McCarter, Payroll supervisor since
late 1974, worked 40 years and 8 months for the
company. For her, 32 years of that time were in
Payroll and the remainder in factory production,
Beatrice’s husband Howard McCarter is retired
from Firestone, with a 38-year service record. He
is a Security Forces guard at the plant.
• Broadus Moss retired with 37 years and 4
months on the job. His last work was as a bobbin
changer in TC Twisting.
• James Paul Chastain was a powerhouse opera
tor when he retired, completing 31 years and 7
months service.
• Moses Player, section supervisor in TC Twist
ing, ‘rounded out an even” 27 years at his retire
ment.
2,908,620 People Hours
People of Firestone Textiles Company’s Bennettsville, SC
plant achieved another high safety record Feb. 9. It marked
the 11th year of operation without a lost-time injury and
represents 2,908,620 peoples’ work hours without a charge
able injury.
• Plant manager Claude Smith (left) wilh Quality-Control &
Safety manager David Coleman, noting the 11-year safety mark
of Firestone Textiles Company's SC production facility.
"So far as is known, this is a
record among the 128 facilities
worldwide of The Firestone Tire
& Rubber Company, and is be
lieved to be a record in the en
tire textile industry," said plant
manager Claude Smith. "At
least, no one has challenged the
claim," he added.
"IT MAY BE said that no one
person is responsible for this
outstanding safety perform
ance,” said M. David Coleman,
manager of Quality Control &
Safety, “but it is a fact that it
all originated with top manage
ment where we have always
"RISING energy prices have
tripled Firestone’s total energy
costs since 1972, making conser
vation measures vitally impor
tant, Lyckberg said.
Savings during the first year
of the program were achieved
mainly by improving boiler op
erations, reducing leaks, improv
ing insulation, and a steam-trap
inspection program.
The company has an energy
task force and a person to head
the program at each plant, with
quarterly reports assembled at
Firestone’s corporate energy of
fice in Akron.
As of January, the Textiles
Division registered an overall
19.88 per cent savings in energy
use. This includes plants at Gas
tonia, Bennettsville, Bowling
Green, Memphis (treating) and
plants 1, 2, 3 at Woodstock,
Canada.
Brian Schroeder, energy co
ordinator, noted that this is a
savings increase of nearly 9 per
cent over the rate a year ago.
The Textiles Division goal on
savings is 13 per cent by 1980.
more on page 2
Who’s
been taught to practice Safety
First.”
Coleman points out that four
plant managers have given lead
ership in safety during this 11-
year period—Eugene F. Swee
ney, manager when the record
began in 1966; Ralph L. King
who followed Mr. Sweeney
when he retired; Edwin Fuller
who followed King; and Claude
Smith, the present manager who
began in March, 1976. Said Cole
man:
“These managers who have
served during these 11 years, de
manded through their staff and
supervision that we have a safe
work place, that we have a safe
ty program and that we have
continuing training in all areas
of safety.”
WHEN THE Bennettsville
plant reached its historic 10-
year safety record in 1976, a
special day commemorated the
achievement.
Bennettsville:
No Lost-Time
Injuries
Mayor Charles F. Hollis pro
claimed “The day of March 25,
1976, in honor of the employees
and management of the Fire
stone plant of The Firestone Tire
& Rubber Company . . . urging
all citizens to honor and dignify
the employees and management
of the plant. Mayor Hollis also
designated a “Firestone Em
ployee Week.”
Recalling the “Big Day” last
March, activities included tours
of the plant, a barbecue meal
for all employees, an awards
presentation and a civic lunch
eon. Those attending the lunch
eon and plant ceremony includ
ed Richard A. Riley, president
(now chairman) of The Fire
stone Tire & Rubber Company,
other top company officials;
civic leaders and government
officials.
President-Elect Of BG UGF
Barbara Mills Mack, daughter
of Eula (Mrs. Seemon) Dunlevy
of Gastonia, will graduate this
spring from Coastal Carolina
College of the University of
South Carolina, Myrtle Beach.
She will receive a degree in sec
ondary education and plans to
teach.
Barbara’s biography is includ
ed in “Who’s Who Among Stu
dents in American Universities
and Colleges” for 1976-77.
In the honors program at
Coastal, she received the George
C. Rodgers Award as Outstand
ing Student of the Year (1975)
and was named Most Valuable
Tennis Player.
In 1975-76 she was the student
body secretary, a member of the
intra-mural sports committee, a
class representative and mem-
Thomas L. Yelton is presi
dent-elect of Bowling Green-
Warren County (Ky.) United
Givers Fund. The Firestone
Bowling Green plant manager
will serve as general campaign
chairman for the UGF 1977
drive, and will assume the presi
dency in 1978. The BG-Warren
UGF gathers and disburses
funds for 13 people-helping com
munity services.
Also, plant manager Yelton
ber of the student affairs com
mittee.
Barbara is president and a
member of the advisory board
of Myrtle Beach Tennis Club.
Following high school in Gas
tonia, she worked at Firestone
us secretary in (Main Office)
Purchasing. Her mother is a
weaver in Chafer Weaving.
has been elected to the board of
directors of Kentucky Council
on Economic Education. KCEE
objectives are in line with those
supported and promoted by the
Firestone company and business
generally—to increase economic
literacy among teachers, stu
dents and the public, so as to
improve quality of government
and foster economic environ
ment for business and free en
terprise.
Looking Around
Sign in Gaitonia taxi itation:
Please Keep Noise Down to Low
Roar. Bumperese—car on Vance
Street, Gastonia: Have Tepee—
Need Squaw. Along with other
graffiti on back of Gastonia city
transit seat: Ann She Love Ru
fus.
Patterns In Snow
• Three light and short-last
ing snows of the 1976-77 Winter
came to Gastonia and North
Carolina's Western Piedmont up
through late February, But the
unpredictable weather 'schedule*
might have others in stor* 'up
into March.' These patterns
were at the Gastonia Firestone
Main Office.