Science-technical institute
Ashbrook High School teacher Anita Friday and East Gas
ton High science student Norman Cloninger attended a
science-technical institute in Orlando, Fla., last month. The
Firestone company paid their travel expenses, with the
Edison Electric Institute hosting delegates. The company
sent several student/teacher teams from areas of the U. S.
where Firestone has divisions.
Anita and Norman repre- portance of technology to man-
sented the Gaston-area senior kind.”
high schools at the 3-day pro
gram which brought together
students and teachers from most
states of the U. S. and many
other countries.
THE INSTITUTE was part of
the 23rd International Edison
Birthday Celebration and Cen
tennial of Light.
Firestone is involved in the
Institute program “to stimulate
youth interest in science and
engineering careers, foster a
close working relationship be
tween industry and our educa
tors, and prompt an appreciation
and understanding of the im-
Company interest in the In
stitute program goes back to the
friendship and business associ
ation of Harvey S. Firestone,
Sr., founder; and Thomas Alva
Edison. Both shared a deep in
terest in science and technology.
Raymond C. Firestone, 4th
son of the Founder, and retired
president, chairman and chief
executive officer of Firestone,
is still a member of the Board
of Trustees of Thomas Alva Edi
son Foundation, Tnc. Also, the
interest is in keeping with Fire
stone’s long-time support of
programs of educational enrich
ment and career exploration.
Managers
in
Treating
and
Weaving
i
Thomasson
Radford
• • Two at Gastonia were
named department man
agers, effective March 1;
William Radford, Jr., in Fab
ric (nylon) Treating; and
Clyde M. Thomasson, in TC
Weaving.
Radford had been supervisor
in Treating since he went from
production to salary in May
1978. He has been in Treating
since he joined the company in
1966 as an operator. Late the
following year he was made a
shift supervisor-temporary, and
appointed supervisor last May.
Nearly 10,000 buying stock
Memufactureis Hanover
Trust Co., trustee for the
Stock Purchase and Sav
ings Plan, purchased Fire
stone common stock foi
accounts of participating
employees at an average
$13.16 per share in Janu
ary. As of that report
(latest available for March
issue of this publication).
there were 9,763 em
ployees enrolled in the
plan.
"Average" per-s hare
price is determined by di
viding total purchase cost
of stock for a month by
total number of shares
purchased for the same
month.
Bassmasters president Richard Jones
(right) presented "Fisherman of the Year"
plaque to Darrell Atwell. He won award
for weighing in the most pounds of bass
last year.
The Producing Bassmasters Club was
organized by Firestone people at Bowling
Green more than a year ago. Richard
Jones is president of the fishing club,
open to all employees. Jones has been at
Firestone BG since late 1968.
Producing Bassmasters had several
fishing tournaments on lakes in Kentucky
and Tennessee last season. Now, a new
year is underway. Anyone interested in
joining the club, see Richard Jones,
Howard Adwell or Larry Jones.
A law increasing permissable mandatory
retirement from age 65 to 70 went into ef
fect January 1. The mandatory retirement
age at Firestone has been 65, but the new
law permits employees to remain actively
at work and take retirement as late as age
70. For most employees the new law was
effective as of January 1, 1979.
The effect of this law on Firestone per
sonnel policies and benefit plans has not
yet been fully determined. It is clear,
THE NEW LAW
Who’U go to 70?
though, that the new law does not require
an employer to count years of service after
an employee has reached normal retirement
age 65 for figuring pension benefits.
Firestone people will be notified of any
changes in their benefit plans which may
result from the new law.
THREE HANTS SERVICE YEARS
He had that assignment until
his promotion to department
manager.
Thomasson began working at
the Gastonia plant in March
1959 and was in various pro
duction jobs until 1972, when he
was promoted to supervisor in
TC Weaving.
In August of 1974 he was ad
vanced to foreman-special
duties, and to foreman in the
department, June 1977. He had
this assignment until his latest
promotion.
• • • Ernest M a u n e y ,
frame changer in TC Twist
ing, worked his first day at
Firestone Feb. 27, 1939. So,
now he is going Into his 41st
year, all the time at Gas
tonia. Others at Gastonia
with service anniversaries in
February represent from 5
to 35 years.
Thirty-Five Yeeurs • William
G. Floyd, Jr., twister operator,
TC Twisting; Charles Hamrick,
supervisor. Fabric Treating.
Twenty-Five Years • Glenn
Henry BeU, twister bobbin
changer, TC Twisting; Paul
David Neal, section supervisor,
TC Weaving.
Bowling Green
• Twenty at Bowling Green
marked 5 th and 10 th anni
versaries of company service in
February.
Ten Years • J. C. Bryant, re
roll table operator. Quality Con
trol; Roger B. Britt, doffer. Ply
Twisting; Earl F. Frazier, doffer.
Cable Twisting; Dorothy A.
Harris, backwinder operator,
Twisting; Marvin Harvey, re
claimer, Reclaiming.
Also Rondell L. Kingrey, loom
creeler. Weaving; Malcolm
Landers, Jr., lead Unifil/splicer
mechanic. Weaving; Donald D.
Moore, unit operator. Treating
Unit; William H. Sturdivant,
traveller changer. Ply Twisting;
Twenty Years • Joe Calvin
Marr, loom starter, TC Weaving;
John Lakes Quinn, unit opera
tor, Fabric Treating.
Fifteen Years • Bernice R.
Farmer, manager-Technical Ser
vice.
Five Years • Peggy H. Neal,
respooler operator, TC Twisting;
Shela D. Roberts, respooler op
erator, TC Twisting; Phillip L.
Jordan, twister operator, TC
Twisting; Martha S. F. Cochran,
splicer operator, TC Weaving;
Eugene A. Barkley, cleaner.
Warehouse; Ronnie J. Smith,
power truck operator. Ware
house.
☆ ☆ ☆
Stan A. Tomlin, factory auditor.
Administrative; Clinton A.
Winn, doffer. Ply Twisting.
Five Years • Robert Black-
well, Jr., weaver, Weaving;
Joseph A. Blaney, utility op
erator, Weaving; Evelena R.
Boards, TerreU splicer operator.
Weaving; Janis L. Embry,
fiberglass splicer operator.
Weaving; Sharon Gail Hayes,
reclaimer. Reclaiming.
Carrie L. Jones, respooler/
splicer operator. Weaving; Jessie
Morrison, maintenance cleaner.
Maintenance; Dennis E. Reyn
olds, section supervisor. Weav
ing; Linda C. Vail, loom knot-
ter/style changer, Weaving.
Screen News
“Earning and Learning” is
the March Screen News Digest
film in junior and senior high
schools of a dozen U. S. loca
tions where Firestone has
plants. The company sponsors
the film series during the school
year.
“Earning and Learning” is in
tended to help students imder-
stand the importance of se
lecting and preparing for a
career.
Since the start of the school
year last September, films in
the series have been “Conquest
of the Skies,” “The Ethiopian
Powder Keg,” “Art of Dip
lomacy,” “Focus on 1954,” and
“The Truman Legacy.”
When schools are not making
use of the films, they may be
borrowed for showing to clubs
and other groups. Of Firestone
Textiles plant locations, the
film series this year is available
in Bowling Green and Gastonia.
For information on borrowing
films, call the personnel office
at either plant.
Bennetts ville
Thirty-Five Years • George
Woodberry, supervisor-produc-
tion, 3rd shift.
Thirty Years • Claude Chav
is,, supervisor-production, 2nd
shift.
Fifteen Years • Luther J.
Ford, Receiving & Shipping.
Five Years • Francis E. Clay,
Receiving & Shipping.
Firestone Textiles Company
P. O. Box 1278 Gastonia, N. C.
March, 1979 28052
BULK
RATE
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
at Gastonia, N. C.
PERMIT NUMBER 29
HATTIE B. PASSMORE
RT, 1, BOX 145-A-S7
GA3T0NIA, N. C. 23052