Abraham, Ltd,, Fieldcresf
%n Design Agreement
THE MILL WHISTLE
Vol. 34
p]den, N. C., August 11, 1975
No. 5
C. Battle, president
Pi , executive officer of
Q[!^rest Mills, Inc, and
Ahr u ^Ufnsteg, chairman of
®ham Limited, Zurich,
joi .|®’’l3nd, have announced
lice^ • signing of a long-term
agreement between
“Wo companies.
Limited, a world
fgb^"'^®d house of fashion
and designs, creates
[jj for the haute couture and
foe international apparel
to bg^®g’ fa considered by many
Zum'r' chairman, Gustav
Uip "^ae of the most talented
fo,,, 'a the world of fabric. His
Natation
is built upon the role
he has played in the creation of
fabrics and designs for the great
couturiers, among them
Balenciaga, Christian Dior,
Givenchy and Yves St. Laurent.
Under the terms of the
agreement, Fieldcrest Mills,
Inc., will have the exclusive
rights for its Fieldcrest and
Karastan Divisions to the design
expertise and to the extensive
design resources of Abraham.
Mr. Battle, in signing the
agreement, noted that the
venture was a new one for
Abraham Limited in the home
furnishings field. He expressed
Fieldcrest’s enthusiasm for the
association and stated that “this
new relationship with one of the
world’s authentic sources of
design creativity is a highly
significant one. It provides the
design vehicle for future
coordinated fashion
introductions of Fieldcrest bed
and bath products with Karastan
rugs and carpets.
“This establishes a new
dimension of home fashion
potential for both Fieldcrest
Mills and its customers. We
believe that our merchandising
leadership in the home
furnishings industry is
immeasurably strengthened by
this new corporate
development.”
Volunteers Needed For Bicentennial Quilt
1) ^'^kingham County may
fhe possessor of its very
n Bicentennial quilt depicting
b >ous scenes and events of
■ interest to the area.
suggested to the
Bicentennial commission
by Mrs. J. B. LaMar, Sr., of
Eden, who is in the process of
looking for volunteers to help in
the endeavor. She hopes the quilt
will later be given to Wright
Tavern as a lasting memento of
the nation’s Bicentennial year.
LaMar has already received response from approx-
half of the volunteers she will need for her Bicen-
quilt project.
Mrs. LaMar, whose husband is
a retired Fieldcrest designer,
hopes to get volunteers from all
over the county so that the quilt
would be truly representative of
the whole county. She already
has the fabric which has been
cut into 10-inch squares and
which she will send to those
interested in helping with the
project.
“We not only need people to
help make the quilt, but also
their ideas for various scenes
and events to be included in it,”
Mrs. LaMar said.
In order to make a standard
72” x 105”quilt, 70 individual
embroidered or appliqued
squares will be necessary.
A number of county people
have already expressed an
interest in the project. Some of
the ideas for squares are the
state emblems such as the flag
and the flower, Wright Tavern
(Continued to Page Four)
Second Quarter
Results Reported
Fieldcrest Mills’ second
quarter sales were $69,877,000,
compared to $79,283,000 in 1974.
Net earnings were $1,640,000
($.45 per share) compared to
$1,981,000 ($.55 per share) last
year. Second quarter 1974
earnings have been restated to
reflect the LIFO method of
inventory valuation adopted in
the fourth quarter of the year.
“The sales and earnings levels
for the second quarter represent
a significant improvement over
the first quarter in which net
earnings were $.03 per share,”
(Continued On Page Four)
GUSTAV ZUMSTEG, noted fabrics designer
11 Plants Get Awards
For Safety During 74
Eleven Fieldcrest plants have
been recognized by the
National Safety Council and the
North Carolina Department of
Labor of their good safety
performance during 1974.
The highest honor won by a
Fieldcrest plant was the Award
of Merit from the National
Safety Council which was won by
the Scottsboro Rug Mill. The
award of Merit is in recognition
of outstanding safety
performance. Scottsboro
employees worked from
January 1, 1974 through
December 31,1974 without a lost
time accident, resulting in
1,977,462 accident-free man
hours.
Also recognized by the
National Safety Council were the
Sheet Finishing Mill which
received a Certificate of
Commendation and the Flocked
Blanket Mill and Winchester
Spinning Mill each of which
received a President’s letter.
Criteria for the awarding of
Certificates of Commendation
and President’s Letters are
based on the plant’s “par” rate,
which is computed by the council
from the plant’s injury rate in
previous years and from the
rates of the industry
classification to which the plant
belongs. The Sheet Finishing
Mill employees have worked
659,092 hours without a lost-time
accident.
In addition to the National
Safety Council Awards, eight
plants received awards from the
North Carolina Department of
Labor.
The Sheet Finishing Mill
Received a safety plaque for the
10th consecutive year. Blanket
Warehouse and the Alexander
(Continued to Page Eight)
Free Flu Shots
To Be Offered
The Fieldcrest Medical
Department will offer influenza
vaccinations to all employees
again this year. A new vaccine,
which is felt to be more effective
in preventing the disease, will be
offered in all locations,
beginning August 18, and
continuing until mid-October.
“All employees are
encouraged to avail themselves
of this opportunity. Employees
who have underlying diseases
such as heart disease, lung
disease,kidney disease,
diabetes, etc., are strongly
advised to take the
vaccination,” said Dr. C. G.
(Continued On Page Four)