Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / Jan. 1, 1979, edition 1 / Page 1
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JANUARY 1979 Firestone Textiles Company Gastonia North Carolina Bennettsville South Carolina Boivling Green Kentucky HEIMS • Architect's drawing—New Warehouse of concrete and ste:l. Textile history at museum Gaston County Art & History Museum in the Old Courthouse at Dallas has a 2 months-long exhibit on the textile industry in the county. In the exhibit running to Feb. 10, Old Loray is among the approximately 20 mills and other facilities fea tured in history from 1840 to about 1930. Loray, constructed in the early 1900s and one of the larg est factories of its kind, has been a Firestone textile op eration since 1935. Major historical piece for the display is the old Loray/Fire- stone mill whistle, retired from the roof of the boiler room in the early 1960s. It was acquired by the late Robert Passmore who for many years was a boiler tender. A son. Bill Passmore (now plant safety manager) loaned the whistle for the ex hibit. Other materials were old photos and clippings. In a Museum arts/crafts ex- New warehousing facihty The new Firestone (Gastonia) Warehouse with 172,000 square-feet floor area was completed in December. One of the finishing-up projects was building racks for beams of fabric and installing a materials-handling conveyor. Besides the work/storage areas, the facility has offices for Warehouse and Transportation departments, a snack canteen and restrooms. Rail line from main Southern RY road was lowered and extended into west side of warehouse. There are rail docks, and parking areas and docks for trucks. • Near project's beginning a year ago. Through new frame work: second section of old warehouse dating to early 1900s. It was removed to make way for last phase of new construction completed in December. In demolishing old structure. Chafer Treat ing Unit was left and new work was "built around it." Two Firestone construction engineers worked during the build ing program—John Wallers, who began it: and Joe Orsak, who completed it. Following Walters, A1 Fisco was 'on loan' from an outside construction firm. Dan C. France, Firestone engineer, came in late December to oversee 'wrap-up' details. Orsak went from Gastonia to London, Ont., Canada, to start a warehouse for Firestone Steel Products. hibit the month preceding the textile presentation, David N. Lewis shared some of his stained-glass pieces. Lewis, manager of Process & Product Development, is an artist in glass and wood, especially parquetry. ' Tire$tone • The retail system for products and services of The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company has nearly 1,400 Company Stores and some 5,000 franchise or other dealers in the United States and Canada. Domestic plant cities of Firestone Textiles Company— Gas tonia, N. C., and Bowling Green, Ky.; and Woodstock in Canada, have 1 or more Firestone Stores and dealers. For Bennettsville, S. C., there is a local dealer in nearby Cheraw, S. C., and a Fire stone Store in Rockingham, N. C. This photo: At a Firestone dealer ship, Greenville, S. C. Since 1928 Borg-Warner, with headquarters in Chicago, began in 1928 when stock of Borg & Beck Co., Mar vel Carbueretor Co. and Warner Gear Co. was ac quired. The firm's products today are mostly com ponents used in items manufactured by other companies. Not many Borg-Warner products are sold directly to the user. Product-service areas include air conditioners, chemicals and plastics, financial services, indus trial products and trans portation equipment. The company has some 50,000 employees in 50 main divisions at about 125 manufacturing facili ties in the U. S. (51 facili ties in 44 cities and 18 states), Canada, and 20 other countries. Firestone/Borg-Warner merger? It will be some months before necessary approvals and details are worked out, so that the proposed merger of the Firestone company and Borg Warner corporation can be submitted to directors and stockholders. Meanwhile, much is yet to be done in working out all the specifics. The com pany will keep employees informed as progress is made. In November, Firestone and Borg-Warner mutually agreed to consider a merger of the com panies. If the combination is realized, both companies will continue to operate as separate entities under a newly-formed holding company based in Chi cago. Firestone would keep its headquarters in Akron; Borg- Warner, in Chicago. A holding company is an or ganization formed and operated to control one or more com panies through stock ownership. “We believe this is a good move for Firestone and Borg- Warner and for their employees and stockholders,” said Richard A. Riley, Firestone chairman. He and Borg-Warner chairman James F. Bere also agreed that it would benefit customers and the communities in which both companies operate. BOTH COMPANIES' boards of directors and stockholders must approve a detailed agree ment, yet to be worked out. Also governmental regulatory bodies must approve. Combination of the companies would strengthen financially and competitively, said Riley. Combined sales of Firestone and Borg-Warner totaled nearly $6.5 billion in 1977 and earn ings were beyond $215 million. This would make the new com pany to rank with the 25 largest industrial enterprises in the U. S. more on page 2 •
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
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Jan. 1, 1979, edition 1
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