UNIROYAL CHEM-TEXTS
Vol. 9, 1975 | PUBLISHED FOR THE PEOPLE OF UNIROYAL CHEMICAL | No. 5
Fife and Drum Corps Promote Safety
[IMAGE: Black and white photograph showing a fife and drum corps marching in front of a building with a “SAFETY YOUR KEY TO THE FUTURE” sign]
The Naugatuck Fife and Drum Corps gave a lift to safety in the plant by marching from the Main Entrance to Bldg. 18 Locker Room and playing a brief musical revue.
Slight Income Gain Shown in Third Quarter
The Company’s third quarter net income was $7,137,000, a slight gain over the $7,097,000 for the third quarter of 1974.
Sales for the third quarter were $529,508,000, down 6.6% from $566,899,000 last year.
Despite the decline in sales, improvements in the world-wide tire operations, and lower interest costs attributable to reduced borrowings and interest rates, enabled the Company to maintain a level of profit in the third quarter comparable to last year.
Nine Months Sales and Income
For the first nine months, sales declined 5.9% to $1,624,568,000 from $1,726,682,000 last year.
Net income for the nine months was $21,809,000 or 68 cents per common share, compared with $37,270,000 or $1.27 per common share last year, a decline of 41.5%
Nine months sales and net income reflected the overall economic recession which had its severest effect in the first quarter of 1975 when profits were down 70%.
On a quarter-to-quarter basis, the Company has been able to make steady improvement, largely through cost reduction programs and manufacturing efficiencies.
The Naugatuck Fife and Drum Corps gave a brief musical revue in observance of the plant’s Safety program. The 35 marching members of the Junior Corps, ranging in age from nine to eighteen, marched from the Main Gate of the plant to Bldg. 18 Locker Room and then played a short concert of popular tunes by the Chemical Canteen.
The Corps has won thirteen State Championships—twelve in succession — and nine Northeastern State Championships. It is rated one of the best fife and drum groups in the area.
The surprise and unusual visit of the Corps gave a big boost
[IMAGE: Small photograph showing a group of roofers stopped work to listen to the fife and drum music]
A group of roofers stop work and listen to the fife and drum music.
to the plant’s safety program which this year consists of the monthly “silver dollar” awards for groups in the different divisions of the plant.
In the absence of director Robert Curina, Footwear plant, Charles Kimball, the Plant Protection Department, was in charge of the activity.
Dividend Declared
A 12½ cent dividend on the Uniroyal common stock was declared and is payable December 29 to stockholders of record November 24.
Productivity Vital for Economy
(The following is a speech by David Beretta, Uniroyal President, to the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers in Brazil)
Improved productivity is vital if the industrial world is to grow and prosper in the 21st century.
The time to start productivity improvement is now and the place is with every resource under our individual control.
An Undeveloped Resource
Productivity is our biggest undeveloped resource. Unfortunately, the word has gained a connotation of ‘speed up’ — of driving workers harder or eliminating jobs through automation.
In contrast, it is a concept which expresses the relationship of output — the quantity or value of goods or services produced — versus input, which is the quantity or value of raw materials, energy, labor, capital and other resources required to produce it.
We must begin to conserve and optimize the use of all of the resources we have been charged to manage. As raw materials, manpower and energy costs continue to escalate, as interest rates rise and the availability of capital declines, the need for improved productivity becomes more important….
Cooperation is Needed
… More attention and study must be given to responsible labor-management communications, and to the development of innovative management systems which employ participative plant management, and to more efficient marketing techniques….
Of all the major industrial countries in the world, the United States is the lowest in capital reinvestment and growth in productivity.
(continued on page 4)
Plant’s United Fund Goal $17,500
The goal for the 1976 United Fund drive, which is conducted throughout the plant annually, has been set at $17,500. Daniel Shantz has been named Chairman for the campaign to raise funds for the sixteen agencies which provide a wide variety of social services to help meet the human needs of the people in the community.
Chemical People Generous Contributors
The Naugatuck Chemical plant has topped its UF goal for four consecutive years. Last year it topped the goal with pledges of $20,055.
The Chemical plant has displayed a generosity that has contributed nearly 33% of the total amount of the Industrial division’s section which includes all of the firms in the Naugatuck and Beacon Falls area.
Give Where You Work
The philosophy of the United Way is “give where you work.” This method has proved the most efficient way to raise the needed money for the agencies in the fund. It eliminates the monies often wasted in promoting good causes. The Naugatuck-Beacon Falls office has the lowest administrative cost of any agency in the area.
As a convenience for employees the plant will deduct contributions through the payroll deduction plan. This is done by determining the amount of your pledge on the United Way card. Deductions start in January 1976 and continue until December.
Members of the United Fund Committee are F. Mayo, K. Dowling, R. Foltz, J. Rzeszutek, S. Mazur, H. Semrow, C. Roland, R. Amidon, J. Tierney, R. Gaetz, J. Vergosen, W. Broden, R. Tweedie, T. Geise, S. Bond, R. Cranney, J. Labrecque and D. Bates.