Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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By and For Employees of Clinton Mills, Inc. 80's brought many changes to Company The decade of the 80's will end in a few days and many of us can recall the significant events that have taken place during this time. Time goes by at a rapid pace and events that occurred years ago seem as if it were only yesterday. In this issue of The Clothmaker, we'd like to go back a few years and recall many of the happenings that have oc curred during the 80's. On January 4,1980, the Company announced that its Mid-America Yam subsidiary would begin construction of a 100,000 square foot plant in Yuma, Arizona. On Febmary 15,1980, Vice President of Manufacturing D.H. Roberts announced his retirement. The year 1980 saw the Company begin participation in the Carolina-Georgia Blood Assurance Program, and as the year neared an end, the Company revealed an improved retirement plan for hourly paid employees. A review of records shows that on June 8,1981, Plant No. 2 Manager Ted Davenport posted a notice noting that "for the 13th consecutive week the Plant's weaving efficiency was over 97%." Significant improvements were made to the group insurance plan effective July 1,1981 as the room rates and major medical coverages were expanded to $93 per day and $200,000 respectively. Many employees will remember the year 1982 as a time of recession for the textile industry and our plants altered operating schedules due to excessive inventories. As the year 1983 began, the Company announced on January 12,1983 that the operation of the Lydia Store would be discontinued. A number of of upstate textile manufacturers participated in a "Buy American Textile Day" in Greenville as the industry began a continuing campaign to encourage people to buy American made textiles. As the decade of the 80's progressed, the Company on August 10,1984 announced the sale of the Pryor, Oklahoma and Talledaga, Alabama carpet yam plants to Suntek Industries. Realizing the low number of voters in the 1980 General Election, the Com pany provided employees an opportunity to register to vote on the job. A highlight of the year 1984 came when a notice was posted November 8, 1984 that the Company's Board of Directors were considering an offer from Bason, Inc. to purchase most of the assets and assume substantially all of the liabilities of Clinton Mills. As 1985 began, it was announced that Jim Coleman would assume the position of General Manager of the Clinton Plants and Ted Davenport would assume the position of Manager-Manufacturing Development and Technical Support Services. On June 20,1985 employees were informed about a new plan providing flexibility in the way medical benefit dollars are spent. PTP, an aobreviation for Pre-Tax Plan, enabled participating employees to pay for medical insur ance premiums without having to first pay taxes on the money. August afforded the Bailey Plant employees an opportunity to "show off' the new equipment being installed in the plant as Congressman John Spratt toured the plant. Also, during August, employees learned more about the advertisements which would feature Bob Hope, Don Johnson, O.J. Simpson, Cathy Lee Crosby and others who gave of their time and talents to make commercials encouraging family and friends to buy American. During the summer of 1985, thousands of employees wrote President Reagan urging him to support legislation favorable to the textile import crisis. In October, Clinton Mills employees successfully fulfilled their responsibil ity in 1985-86 United Way pacesetter. Combined contributions from the Company and employees totaled over $28,300. In Ja ’ ” Management reassigned Clinton Mills has reassigned five individuals in the manufacturing management staff, according to Vice President Ted Davenport. Bob Hooks has been reassigned from Plant No. 1 Manager to Bailey Plant Manager, and Gregg Link has been reassigned from Bailey Plant Manager to Plant No. 1 Manager. In other moves, George Grant moved from Bailey Plant Weaving Superintendent to Plant No. 2 Assistant General Superintendent of Weaving. Marty Satterfield was Bailey Plant Carding Superintendent before assuming his new position as Bailey Plant Weaving Superintedent. Ronnie Bishop is now Bailey Plant Carding Superintendent. He was previously a Manufacturing Assistant. January of 1986, James Buchanan assumed the position of Clinton Milk Personnel Director, and in April, Bob Hooks succeeded S.S. Williams as Plant No. 1 Manager. Proview was i 1986. Proview reviews the medical necessity of hospital in-patient care before Continued on Page 2 Proview was added to the Company's group insurance program on May 1, il necessity of hospital in-patient care befoi