THE MILL WHISTLE
iTisMei'est
Voi 32
Eden, N. C., August 13, 1973
No. 3
Fieidcrest Plants 'Superdoffcr’ Is Ready!
^in Recognition
K Several Fieidcrest plants won
^ awards from the National Safety
Council and the North Carolina
-Department of Labor for their
fgood safety performance in 1972.
The top honor went to the
employees of the Fieldale Towel
Mill where the plant received the
Award of Honor from the
National Safety Council. This
awprd is the highest order of
recognition for outstanding
occupational safety records.
The Fieldale Towel Mill ex
perienced only one lost-time
accident during 1972, giving the
mill a frequency rate that was 90
percent better than its “par”
rate and a severity rate that was
95 .percent better.
Also receiving an Award of
Honor from the National Safety
Council was the General Offices
at Eden, where there has been
no lost-time injury since 1958,
resulting in an accumulation of
7,029,789 accident-free man
hours.
Four additional units received
National Safety Council awards:
Blanket Warehouse, Alexander
Sheeting Mill and Scottsboro
Rug Mill, which received the
Certificate of Commendation;
and the Mount Holly Spinning
Mill, which received the NSC
President’s Letter.
The National Safety Council’s
(Continued on Page Eight)
Runners-Up Are Ready, Too
HERBERT BLACKSTOCK
When Phillip Dickerson
.^competes in the National
Superdoffer Tournament he’ll
I have some strong supporters
^ack home.
Among those cheering him on
^will be two other doffers who
competed in the contests to
determine the champion doffer
at Fieidcrest Mills.
Mr. Dickerson became the
company’s “Superdoffer” when
he defeated Rudolph Dalton of
the Blanket Greige Mill. Mr.
Dalton had earlier downed
Herbert Blackstock of the
Draper Sheeting Mill.
Both Mr. Dalton, the first
runner-up and Mr. Blackstock,
the second runner-up have a
strong competitive spirit. While
they are cheering for Mr.
Dickerson, they also would like
to be in the contest again, if that
were possible.
Mr. Dalton was first employed
RUDOLPH DALTON
as a doffer at the Blanket Greige
Mill in 1969. He is a native of
Stuart, Va., but grew up in the
Draper section of Eden. His
favorite sport is fishing.
He is married to the former
Mary Travis of Ruffin and they
have two sons and a daughter.
The Daltons live at 45 Carlson
Avenue in Danville, Va.
Mr. Blackstock, a native of
Eden, was first employed at the
Draper Sheeting Mill in June,
1968 and became a doffer in
April, 1969.
He enjoys all sports, plays
softball with the Blanket Greige
Mill team and basketball with
the Draper Sheeting Mill team.
He is a member of the Church of
God of Christ at Ruffin.
He is married to the former
Rebecca Jumper of Eden and
they have a son, nine months old.
The family lives on Route 3,
Eden.
Fieidcrest Mills’ “Super
doffer” is rarin’ to go.
Phillip Dickerson of the
Bedspread Mill, who won the
company doffing championship,
said he is ready to take on the
competition in the National
Superdoffer Tournament and
wishes he could get started.
He’ll have to wait a little
while, though, to go up against
his rivals in other textile com
panies. Fieidcrest Mills drew a
bye in the pairings for the
elimination contests. Therefore,
Mr. Dickerson will not need to
compete in the first round.
Instead, he will face the
winner of the match between
Burlington Industries and
Spartan Mills, Spartanburg, S.C.
This means he will meet either
Monnie Hugh Wilkie of
Burlington’s Caroleen Plant or
Richard White of Spartan Mills,
the warp doffer champions of
their respective companies.
The American Textile Manu
facturers Institute, sponsor of
the National Superdoffer
Tournament, has announced
that the warp doffer first
eliminations will be held bet
ween August 12 arid 25. Those
companies which drew a bye.
including Fieidcrest, will
compete in the second round
between September 2 and 15.
The national finals — to
determine the fastest doffers
among the approximately 20,000
doffers in the eountry — will
begin during the week of
November 25.
The winners will be designated
as a “super” warp doffer and a
“super” filling doffer and each
will receive a cash prize of
$1,600. Runners-up in the finals
for warp and filling will each win
$800.
Mr. Dickerson, as the doffing
champion at Fieidcrest Mills,
has received a congratultory
letter from Donald Comer, Jr.,
president of the American
Textile Manufacturers Institute
and also president of Avondale
Mills where the idea for a
National Superdoffer Tourna
ment originated.
In the letter Mr. Comer
commended Mr. Dickerson on
being the warp doffer champion
at Fieidcrest Mills. “This is an
outstanding achievement and
you have every right to be proud
of it. We hope that you will find
fun and excitement in competing
against the champions from
PHILIJP DICKERSON
other companies in this great
industry,” Mr. Comer wrote.
Mr. Dickerson has been a
doffer at the Bedspread Mill
since 1970 and was employed at
the Bedspread Finishing Mill
1965-1969. His favorite sports are
hunting and bowling.
He is married to the former
Shirley Ring, a native of Stone-
ville and they have three
children, ages eight, six and
three. The family lives at 704
South Hamilton Street in Eden.
Grants-ln-Aid
The Fieidcrest Foundation
gave 51 new grants-in-aid to
employees’ children for the 1973-
74 school year.
Pictures of 30 of the young
people appear on page three.
CU Dividends Pass
Miliion-Dollar Mark
Notice
Gift certificates awarded
employees on service an
niversaries will be honored
in connection with em
ployees purchases of
company merchandise not
only at the Fieidcrest Store
and its outlets in the
outlying areas but also at
the Employee Outlet Store
in the Draper section of
Eden and the Employee
Cash Sales Showroom for
rugs and carpets in the
AMP Building on West
Stadium Drive in Eden.
Under the company’s
service recognition
program, employees ob
serving 30th, 35th, 40th and
45th anniversaries receive a
gift certificate in dollar
value equal to the years of
service.
Fieidcrest employees are
millions of dollars richer
because of their membership in
the Credit Union.
With its latest dividend, for the
six months ended June 30,
dividends paid by the Credit
Union since its organization in
1958 passed the million-dollar
mark.
“There’s no doubt that the
Credit Union is worth several
million dollars to its members,”
said L. E. Chewning, Credit
Union president who is manager
of general accounting and taxes
at Fieidcrest.
“The $1,012,128 paid out in
dividends to date represents just
the interest,” Mr. Chewning
said. “Beyond the interest that
has been earned there is the
principal — the savings that the
members have accumulated
over the years.
“The (^Jredit Union’s assets
now total over $5-million. This
includes the members’ share
accounts, plus the interest on
their savings and income from
investments.
L. E. CHEWNING
. . . Credit Union President. . .
“These funds belong to the
members and no one else. This is
money ahead which is helping
provide financial security for
those who save in the Credit
Union,” Mr. Chewning added.
He pointed out that the Credit
Union for several years has been
paying 6 percent interest per
(Continued on Page Seven)