Newspapers / Olin Profile (Brevard, N.C.) / Nov. 1, 1983, edition 1 / Page 2
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Olin SPOTLIGHT ON SKILLS “Industry can’t cling to the past,” explained Randy Bone, staff project engineer in Ecusta’s Tobacco Industry Research Group. “Look at RCA. In 1960 RCA was the king of the electronics industry and Texas Instrument was a garage size business. RCA clung to its vacuum tube technology rather than take the lead in transistor and solid state development. Exploring The Frontiers of High Technology Randy sees his job as keeping Ecusta on the leading edge by applying new technology to making its paper products. Randy’s mind is filled with the latest information on solid state electronics, lasers and computers. He unleashes this knowl edge to meet the objectives of mar keting and manufacturing for new or improved products. Ecusta’s desire to explore laser perforation of tipping paper brought Randy to the company five years ago. His expertise with lasers put Ecusta in the lead in offering the cigarette industry this product. Each project starts with a need to do something better. Randy begins his job by thoroughly analyzing what needs to be achieved. The creative and exciting part of the job is dreaming up a new and better way to meet the objective. This involves exploring what high technology has to offer and conceptualizing how the technology can be manipulated to put Ecusta on the frontier of paper mak ing and processing. The best ideas are tested in the laboratory. If they show promise, they are refined and further tested until it is determined they are ready for appli cation in the plant. Plant engineering takes over from here, but continues to work closely with the research engi neers until the new technology is fully operational. Robotic eyes based on space age technology are currently going through this shakedown process un der Randy’s direction. Taking the lead Randy Bone, project engineer in research and development, is surrounded by some of the tools of his trade. from Newton, who discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head, Randy said the idea for robotic eyes came to him while he ate lunch under, a tree. The key is digital television — the same technology that brings us pic tures from space probes to Jupiter and other planets. Besides being small and very light sensitive, digital TV can be used to feed information to a computer. This TV/computer combination is being developed by Randy and his staff to monitor the quality of tipping products. Test units are already in place. The robotic eyes or digital TV cameras are monitoring the quality of product in process and feeding the information to a computer. The com puter automatically makes machine adjustments to keep quality up to standard. . . it is rewarding for me to see how the latest tech nology can be used to give Ecusta a competitive edge.” “This kind of technology isn’t meant to replace people,” explained Randy. “It only insures that we will produce more good paper products and this secures jobs. It also opens opportunities for better jobs as we require people to operate and main tain high technology equipment.” “We are in a very competitive industry” Randy concluded, “and it is rewarding for me to see how the lat est technology can be used to give Ecusta a competitive edge.” O Triple Safety Honors For Ecusta Employees Ecusta employees continue to be among the safest workers in industry and were recognized for their achievements in October. Olin Corporation’s, John M. Henske, cited Ecusta for reaching the milestone of 5 million man-hours without a lost- time injury and so did the American Paper Institute. The Southern Pulp and Paper Association issued a commendation for Ecusta’s recent total of 5,256,653 hours before taking a lost-time injury. That record began May 5, 1982 and ended September 26, 1983. “These awards recognize the ef forts of every individual—employees, union officials and supervisors— towards making this an injury free operation,” explained Fletcher Rob erts, Director of Safety and Loss Pre vention. Accepting the awards from Garza Baldwin, Jr. are Jim Kellar (left), Union Safety Committee Repre sentative and George Tesnow of the company who conducted the October Central Safety Meeting. Gordon Meihls Gives Santa A Hand It started about a dozen years ago when Gordon Meihls began going to the homes of a few friends and playing Santa Claus. Now he spends his Christmas Eve traveling to the home of anyone who asks, delivering presents and his personal brand of Christmas cheer. With his wife behind the wheel, Gordon may visit up to 30 homes. There’s no charge and, in fact, if you insist on paying you are crossed off his list. If presents are offered as payment, Gordon takes them to needy families. In addition to his Christmas Eve run, Gordon delivers presents donated by area merchants to needy children. He is also the Santa for annual Lions Club, elementary school, Head Start, pre-school and square dance club parties. Gordon’s whole family looks forward to the holiday season and helping their own Santa’s helper. “I find it is very rewarding to see the joy in a child’s eyes when they see Santa and are handed a present.” O David F. Ducker has been promoted to water supervisor in the maintenance and utili ties department. Ducker joined Olin in 1961 as a filter plant operator. Catherine A. Macdonald has been promoted to staff re search chemist in the Re search Council of Olin Corpo ration. Ms. Macdonald joined Olin in 1982 as a chemist. Thomas J. Moore has been promoted to quality control inspector in the technical department. Moore was em ployed by Olin in 1976 and was serviceman, material handler and winder operator in winding and calendering. Margaret M. Gordon has been promoted to quality control shift supervisor in the techni cal department. Mrs. Gordon joined Olin in 1965 and was a quality control inspector at the time of this promotion. Ralph S. Stagner has been promoted to process engineer in the technical department. Stagner joined Olin in Janu ary of this year as an engi neer in the process engineer ing section.
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