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Fibers & Textiles Company
Gastonia, North Carolina
Bennettsville, South Carolina • Bowling Green, Kentucky • Hopewell, Virginia
Saving $73 million
BY
1985
• The 12% savings to be realized from a new Firestone pol
icy will be a contribution by office and warehouse personnel
toward reducing the company’s and the nation’s energy-use.
The new policy sets building thermostats no lower than 75
degrees F for cooling and no higher than 68F for heating. It
allows air-conditioning of storage areas to be heated only to
55F, and prohibits simultaneous air-conditioning/heating
except in areas where processes require it (exempt under a
former federal program.)
FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS beginning in 1979 required settings
at 78F for cooling and 65F for heating. Those restrictions
were revoked in February this year.
“We established the new policy because we realized our
heating/air-conditioning use could be cut by about 12%,”
said Don R. Kline.
The company manager of energy-use noted: “While the
new policy is somewhat relaxed from the old federal stan-
dcirds, it should make people who are more sensitive to heat/
cold more comfortable — thus more productive.”
He noted that the U.S. Department of Energy and other
independent studies “have confirmed a near-3% savings in
heating/cooling energy for each degree of ‘setback’.”
Firestone production facilities have already committed to
reducing use of energy by 26% — saving $73 million in op
erating costs by 1985.
Tower of
Gastonia
plant.
Division
head
quarters
Firestone
Fibers
& Textiles
Company
1981
1.2 trillion miles
More than 100 million cars and
nearly 25 million trucks and buses
are in use in the U.S. In one year
those vehicles travel more than
1.2 trillion miles. Reports the
Vehicle Manufacturers Association:
This vehicle-use creates 13 million
jobs with more than 800,000 busi
nesses benefiting directly from the
auto industry.
Epitaph • Dunstan's Church
yard, Stepney, England: HERE
LYES YE BODY OF DANIEL SAUL,
SPITTLEFIELD’S WEAVER AND
THAT’S ALL.
Division consolidation
•Consolidation of Firestone Textiles Company and Fire
stone Synthetic Fibers Company into a new division of the
parent Firestone company was completed September 1. The
combination became Firestone Fibers & Textiles Company
with headquarters at Gastonia. It continues to operate under
the North American Tire Group.
Ronald E. Noble, who was presi
dent of the synthetic fibers op
eration at Hopewell beginning in
1974, will be president of the
new company next spring. James
Biology Tina Collins
major at WFU
•Tina Renee Collins is in her sophomore
year at Wake Forest University, Winston-
Salem. The most recent from Gastonia to
receive a Firestone Company College Schol
arship, Tina is majoring in biology. She
plans a career in medical research.
She is the daughter of Dorothy Collins and
the late Percy W. Collins who was in TC
Twisting at the time of his retirement in
1974.
Tina is a graduate of Hunter Huss High
School. For the past two years she toured
with youth groups of Chapel Grove Baptist
Church, Gastonia. In 1980 she went with
the youth choir to several states, presenting
the musical "Believer.” As a member of
YET (Youth Evangelistic Team) Tina this
summer worked with churches in Batesburg
and Pacolet, S.C. and Mills River, N.C.
Of other Scholcirship winners in the Fibers/
Textiles division, Jacqueline Beth Wyatt
was graduated from Western Kentucky Uni
versity, Bowling Green, last spring. Sharon
Doherty, 1981 winner from Hopewell, has
si
B. Call has been president since
1968.
Besides Mr. Noble, the consolida
tion reassigned three men to Gas
tonia in division Jobs. David W.
Hirsch. who came from Akron, is
purchasing agent. From Hopewell;
Jerry L. Hall, manager of credit and
liber accounting; and Lawrence L.
FIBERS
ADDED
Shute, sales manager of fibers/
textiles.
ALL PLANTS of the combltied
operations continue turning out the
same product lines.
Hopewell Is a major supplier of
yarn for the Company's tire rein
forcement needs. One of the three
plants at Woodstock. Canada, also
produces yarn. The other two at
Woodstock and one each at Gas
tonia, N.C., Bennettsville. S.C., and
Bowling Green, Ky., either process
yarns into cord fabric or treat the
llnished fabric, mainly for tire re
inforcement.
More on page 3
SPLICER
OPERATOR
The family reunion
Overheard • A splicer operator
telling this story: August is one of
the best months for picnics, vaca
tions and family reunions. This
year our family undertook to com
bine all three. But I'd advise against
it.
I'm not sure if it was traveling
with restless younguns the nearly
200 miles to Limestone Cove, Tenn..
the cold chicken at our picnic along
the way, or meeting kinfolks I'd
never seen before that made things
turn out the way they did.
At the family gathering 1 was
besieged by a passel of relatives I'd
never seen in my life. . . telling
me I must have inherited my
Daddy’s traits — looks, actions
and so on. because I "sure don't
resemble any of the Davis line."
"Davis?" I asked. "This Is tlie
Davis reunion, ain't it?"
Facial expressions and nods gave
me the answer. I hurried through
the crowd to find my husband
Cleve, licking away at the meringue
on his lemon custard.
"Hurry up and let's get outta
here!" 1 told him. We’re at the
wrong reunion!"
"I thought something was
amiss,” answered Cleve.'’ "Cook
ing’s a mite too good for it to be
one of your family reunions!"
entered the College of William and Mary at
Williamsburg,
Firestone Scholarships are worth up to
$13,600 toward four years in a private col
lege or university, and $6,800 in institutions
operated by state and local governments.
The grants, renewable by the year, go to pay
for tuition, fees, room/board expenses and to
buy textbooks.
Stock sold at $ 12.30
There were 6,492 employees enrolled in the Firestone Stock
Purchase & Savings Plan in late August. During July — the
latest purchase month — Firestone common stock was bought
at an average $12.30 for accoimts of participating employees.
Manufactiu'ers Hanover Trust Company manages Firestone’s
SP&S PlEUi. Through it, Firestone contributes SI for every S2
an employee invests in the stock. A person is eligible to buy
after 6 months company service.