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Vol. 36-No. 8 Newberry, S. C. 29108, Thursday, July 27, 1972 Ground broken for new Damon Creations plant GROUNDBREAKING AT DAMON INDUSTRIES: Shown participating in last Tuesday’s groundbreak ing ceremonies of the new Damon industry in Newberry are, left to right-W. J. Raffield, president of the Newberry County Development Board; Bonner Manley, executive director of the South Carolina State Development Board; David Rappaport, chairman of the board and president of Damon Creations Inc. of New York, the parent company; South Carolina Governor John West; and Michael Rappaport, executive vice president of Damon Creations. (Sunphoto by David Reames) ARCHITECT’S RENDITION OF DAMON CREATIONS NEW PLANT Gov. John C. West participat ed in groundbreaking ceremo nies for a $2 million plant by Damon Creations Inc. with com pletion of the facility expected early next year. The 100,000 square-foot Da mon International Ltd. plant will produce shirts and the fa cility will replace an existing plant that will be closed. Da mon International is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Damon Creations. Production capacity will in crease to 3,500 dozen shirts per week at the new plant from the present capacity of 1,500 dozen. Employment at the existing Black Rock factory now is in excess of 300 and will be in creased to more than 500 at full capacity, making Damon one of the largest employers in Newberry County. Participating in the ceremony was David Rappaport, president of Damon. Gov. John C. West and other company and govern mental dignitaries. “I am happy to join the peo ple of Newberry and the State of South Carolina in expressing our congratulations to Damon International and Damon Crea tions on this most important step,*’ Gov. West. J. Bonner Manly, director of the S. C. State Development Board, said he was delighted with the company’s decision to expand its Newberry operation. “It is gratifying when an existing company expands its operation,” Manly said. “It is good news for the company, the people of the area and for all of South Carolina. It reflects favorably on the assets South Carolina has to offer business and this announcement is a tri bute to the joint efforts of the Newberry County Development Board and the local comma nity.” Upon completion of the new plant, the Black Rock plant will be closed and all of the assets will be merged into the new facility, operated by Damon’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Damon International Ltd., a South Car olina corporation. Damon Creations had record sales of $18,782,100 in the nine months ended January 31 and net income of $856,200. Upon completion of the new plant, the Black Rock plant will be closed and all of the assets will be merged into the new cility, operated by Damon’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Da mon International Ltd., a South Caroina coporation. Damon Creations had record sales of $18,782,100 in the nine months ended January 31 and net income of $856,200. tw $3.00 PER YEAR Wyman M. Shealy retires as gas ■ i ■ ' Wyman M. Shealy, Sr. of 103 E. Walnut Street, Clinton, is retiring as General Manager of the Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authrority on July 31, af ter many years of faithful service to both the City of Clin ton and the Ciiy of Newberry. Mr. Shealy came from New berry to Clinton in 1922 to work for M. W. Adams Plumbing and Roofing. In 1925 he married Lena Bobo of Clinton. In 1929 he went with Texas Oil Co., and later in 1940, he became the Head Utility Man at Whit ten Village. In 1941 he volun teered for service in the Unit ed States Navy, serving four years with duty in the South Pacific. Upon his discharge from the Navy, he returned to Clinton where he had his own heating and plumbing business until he joined the City of Clinton, Gas Department, in 1953. The City offered natural gas service in 1953, starting off in July with fourteen customers. In June of this year, 1972, Clinton billed 3,485 customers, Newberry bill ed 3,028 customers, and 146,- 239,000 cu. ft. of valley gas (ex cess gas during the summer) was sold to Carolina Pipeline Co. and Laurens Commission of Public Works. In 1953 and 1954 the Authority had to bor row $50,000.00, above the re gular bond indebtedness, to ope rate on. The Gas Authority’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 1972-73, including debt ser vice and cost of gas, runs close to $2,000,000,.00. Mr. Shealy is a member and Past Chairman of Official Board of St. John’s Lutheran Church and a member and Past Pres- sident of Clinton Exchange Club. He is a member of Ame rican Legion Post 56. having served previously as Post Com- (Continued on Page 8) Whitesides new academic dean; Park to study Dr. Glenn E. Whitesides, a native of Chester, has been ap pointed academic Dean and Vice President for Academic Matters at Newberry College, effective September 1, accord ing to Dr. Fredric B. Irvin, Newberry president. Dr. White- sides will succeed Dean Con rad B. Paris, who has request ed a leave of absence to do post-doctoral research and study in chemistry. DR. WHITESIDES At his own request Dr. Park will relinquish the position of Dean and Vice-President at Newberry in order to devote himself to full-time teaching as a Professor of Chemistry at Newberry, his alma mater, be- DR. PARK ginning with the 1973-1974 aca demic year. During his leave Dr. Park will also explore new methods of preparing under graduates for health and scien- (Continued on Page 8) It was “B. O. Long Night” at Newberry College on July 19 for the veteran college administrator who will retire in August as Newberry’s Vice President for Financial Affairs. A Newberry graduate, Long joined the College staff in 1940. Following the dinner, A. Hart Kohn, Jr., of Columbia and president of the College’s Board of Trus tees, presented Long with a check in gratitude for Long’s long ser vice to Newberry. After the dinner their friends Filed through a re ceiving line to “Wish them the best of everything” as Long steps down as the College’s Vice President for Financial Affairs.