Reviewing Argus Progress

Two weeks ago we took part in the annual photographic show at Atlantic City. The show was very successful with a lar ge number of manufacturers' and distributor sT displays and good dealer attendance. Each year displays become more beautiful and effective- and the Argus display was no exception. Many dealers, as well as some of our competitors, have told us we have had the outstanding exhibit each of the past few years. We sometimes wonder how we can outdo our previous exhibits but Jimmy Barker does an even better job each year. In the field of still photography manufacturers introduced very few new items. We displayed our new Argus L-3 light meter for the first time and dealer interest was gratifying. Our salesmen took a substantial number of orders for this high quality meter, which is sold with a top-grain leather carrying case. At the retail selling price of $16.95 it will be the best value available in the light meter market.

BUSINESS CONDITIONS March sales were slightly ahead of our sales forecast. At this time April is running slightly behind the same level. The outlook for the remainder of the year appears favorable. The majority of economists and businessmen throughout the country seem to be in agreement that our economy is operating on a healthy basis. Retail trade in general seems to confirm this viewpoint. NEW BUILDING PROGRAM Progress on the new wing of Plant I is a little ahead of schedule. The building contractorTs workshould be completed sometime in May. As many of you may know, this addition is to house a major part of the Paint Shop, Factory Supplies, and Quality Control offices. We plan to make som e of these moves in early June with all moves completed by August 1. The new cafeteria will also be completed sometime next month. We will all have som e inconvenience

during the time that the cafeteria serving Unes are rearranged and the air-conditioning equipment is installed. I am sure the improvements planned will compénsate for this temporary inconvenience. It will be a pleasure to have this area completed before there are many hot days. Architectural plans for the office building (brewery) have been completed and cost estimates obtained. As in the case of building a new home, our tastes have been more expensive than the pocketbook warrants. Currently we are determining whether more economical remodeling is possible or whether some alternative use may be better justified.

Vacation Dated...

July 15 to August 1 are the dates of the annual summer shutdown for vacation and inventory this year. All Argus employees take their vacations during this period unless the nature of their work necessitates different scheduling.

Chapman, Woolson Attend Conference

Carlos Chapman, Marketing Manager, and Robert Woolson, Field Sales Manager, took part in a panel discussion March 25 at the University of Michigan Management -Marketing Research Conference. Argus was used as a case study in the discussion, which concerned the analysis of salesmen's time. Chapman and Woolson stressed that this area is one in which market research and sales management can work very profitably together. This discussion was one of several held in the Rackham Building of the University. The Conference, which is held yearly, is attended by sales and marketing managers of companies in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Donald R. G. Cowan, Professor of Marketing at the University, was chairman of the discussion in which Chapman and Woolson participated as well as General Chairman for the Conference.

About The Cover

This month's cover photo contest winner and winner of a $25 Savings Bond is Wilma Simmons, Paint Shop. Wilma took the picture at Irish Hills in Michigan with an Argus EF.

Blood Bank Deposit Climbs To 368 Pints

March 22 and 23 saw 376 blood donors at the Ann Arbor Red Cross mobile unit. Of the 271 pints of blood deposited, 27 were sent to the aid of the Armed Forces and 244 were credited to the blood bank. Adding these 244 pints to our balance on deposit from the last drive, which was 124 pints, a total of 368 pints is on deposit as of March 24. Other Ann Arbor concerns participating in this drive were Hoover Ball and Bearing, Electric Service, Washtenaw County Road Commission, Ann Arbor Press, Arnett's, Barnard Plating, American Broach, King-Seeley, and Buhr Machine.

Hats Off Dept.

DOLORES HELZERMAN was promoted from clerkstenographer in Pur chas - ing to Sales stenographer . JOHNNY JOHNSON,

duction Engineering, has been promoted to chemist. Johnny was formerly a process control technician. MILLIE HAYNIE was promoted from Sales stenographer to publicity writer.

Two Credit Union Officers Resign

Former Director of the Credit Union Art Parker, Jr. and Assistant Treasurer William Sieloff have resigned f rom their positions. Paul Haines has been elected to serve the remainder of Art's term, which expires in 1957. Hilda White, Mail Room, was appointed Assistant Treasurer.

Fifteen Receive Suggestion Awards

Reuben Ronde, Machine Shop, received a check for $57.72 this month for suggesting a method change on the C-3 front plate. Adoption of this idea resulted in a reduction of quality requirements and process time. A check for $23.79 went to Gertrude North, Machine Shop, for her suggestion that a burring operation on the C-4 case be eliminated. Mary Lou Anderson, secretary to Mr. Lewis, received $18.44 for her suggestion that the company procure air mail weight paper and envelopes for stock. This idea resulted in a savings on postage and a savings on printing cost. Gerald Hanley, Blocking, suggested the insertion of a larger pin in pressing tools used in making polishers. Adoption of this suggestion resulted in a saving on both material and labor and Gerald received a check for $15. Suggestion awards of $10 went to Wilma Simmons, Paint Shop; Russel Widmayer, Machine Shop; Elizabeth Robinson, Cleaning and Inspection; Irene McCowan, Final Inspection; and Kenneth Hubbell, Punch Press. Other $10 awards were received by Bessie Coon, Optical Assembly; Mary Flint, Machine Shop; Fred Alchin, Production Planning; Rolland Ranson, Shipping; and Gladys Johnson, who worked in Tabulating and is no longer with Argus. Orviel Harrison, Production Planning, received two awards of $5 each.

Volunteers Needed For Lake Clean-up

Spring weather turns the Recreation Club's thoughts to cleaning up the Independence Lake area for the summer season. Many, many hands are needed to make the grounds ship-shape. See your Recreation Club representative or any of the officers concerning times when clean-up crews will be ffoine out.

You Asked Andy

If the amount of noise being made in the construction of the new cafeteria is any indication of the excellence of the finished product, I'm sur e we' 11 have the finest caí eter ia in the 48

States! Seriously, it looks to me like the new cafetería will be wonderíul. Air Raid Shelter In reply to the letter which asked what plans Argus is making for protection from atomic attack, I went to Tom Spitler with this one and this is what I found out. We have written to the Business and Defense Service Administration in Washington for information on this subject and are waiting for a reply. We have also been in contact with the local civil defense group and will be making plans to have them investigate our facilities at Argus and make recommendations as to what steps employees should take in case of attack. We have not received any of this information as yet, but will let you know when it is available. Fringe Benefits One of the letters I got concerned the second page of our letter from Mr. Lewis of February 25, which listed fringe benefits paid to employees in 1953 and 1954. The letter that was picked up at the Andy Argus box stated that Federal Oíd Age Insurance, Unemployment Insurance and Workmen's Compensation Insurance, which were included on the list, are required by law and therefore are not fringe benefits. Back I went to Tom Spitler, who told me that, for comparison purposes, all the items were listed because they are all extra costs of employment and are paid in addition to wages and salaries. It is because all of the items listed are employee benefits that they were included on the list. The three items mentioned above are, however, required by law. This letter also questioned whether production employees are paid for rest period time. Payment for rest periods is figured in the personal fatigue delay allowance which production employees receive. This allowance is included in your standard and allows not only rest periods but effects of fatigue and minor delays as well. Based on the type of work you do, your surroundings, and the concentration required, your standard contains a P.F.D. allowance for your job of from 10% to 18%. Salary Pay Stubs "Why is it not possible for the salary pay stubs to contain adequate information to enable employees to figure their pay accurately? If overtime is involved, this is next to impossible." Mrs. Radford gave me the story on this one. New checks have been designed for both factory and office personnel which will be put into use in July of this year. The check stubs will have more detailed information which will explain the deductions and breakdown more clearly. If you should have questions concerning the present checks between now and July, either your supervisor or the Personnel office will be glad to help. Scholarship Students I told you last month that we would check on the progress Argus scholarship holders are making. This is what Mrs. Radford and I found out. The grades of students holding Argus scholarships are sent by the University to the students and to the committee on scholarships. On the basis of these and other qualifications, the committee decides who qualifies for the continuing scholarships. Argus is notified as to who the scholarship recipients are but the actual grades are confidential to the student and the scholarship committee. I'm sure, though, that we can all be proud of our scholarship students. Factory Employee Paychecks In reply to the letter concerning the fact that factory employee paychecks are not always held confidential, Tom Spitler told me that all supervisión has been reminded that employee paychecks are confidential and should not be displayed for other employees to see. Any specific complaints should be discussed with department supervisión or the Personnel office so that the matter can be corrected immediately.

From Proff To Print -- The Argus Eyes Story

Every month Argus Eyes makes its journey f rom the reporter' s note pad into the hands of its 1,300 readers. Aside from all Argus employees, who make the news, approximately 35 people share the responsibility for getting it into print. These are the processes through which Argus Eyes goes before it reaches its readers.

Argus Stars At M Pdfa Convention

Argus topped its own record of last year at the Master Photo Dealers and Finishers' Association Convention in Atlantic City a few weeks ago. With the glamour and beauty of Venice which Jimmy Barker, Advertising, created with props and muráis as a back-drop for the Argus display, many attending the Convention agreed that "Argus stole the show." Thousands of photo dealers and manufacturers' r epr esentatives strolled through the replica of Garibaldi Square in Venice and viewed the 20-foot high Pillar of St. Mark, on which Argus' rising star was perched. About 800 crimson tulips encircled the base of the pillar and lamp posts. The tulips were grown in Kalamazoo and transported to Atlantic City where they obediently opened into f uil bloom the first day of the Show. The entire Argus display covered about 2,000 square feet of floor space.

The Venetion theme tied in with the Argus-sponsored dealer contest, which awarded a 12-day trip to Venice to the person who did the best job of completing the sentence "I like to sell Argus because. . . ." The winner of the contest was Mrs. Mary Kerr of Jamestown, New York. Mrs. Kerr will fly to Venice via TWA.

Traveling along the aisle of our exhibit, which was the Campanale (main canal in Venice) the muráis on the walls showed such sights as the Bridge of Sighs, which leads to the dungeons of the prison; Doges Palace; the Church of Sancta Maria Della Salute; the Piva Bridge, which connected Italy and Croatia; and the unloading of wine ships on St. George's Island. Seeing these muráis was almost as good and almost as authentic as seeing Venice itself. New Argus products introduced to the industry at the Show were the 75 Portrait Kit and the Model L3 Exposure Meter. An Argus sales meeting was held in Atlantic City prior to the Convention. About 30 Argus people, including most of the salesmen, attended the Convention. Convention Hall in Atlantic City, which housed over 500 exhibits for the Show, is the largest convention hall in the world .

NEW PRODUCTS

Congratulations! On Your Argus Anniversary

Have A Cigar!

Bob Isaacson's (Methodsand Stand - ards) son Kenneth Charles was born March 22. Kenneth, who weighed 8 lbs . , 4 oz . , has a brother Robert Dennis, age 7. Cindy Lee is the name of Barbara Barlow's (Accounting) first child. Born March 9, Cindy Lee weighed in at 6 lbs., 12 oz. Karen Anita was born March 18 to Harold Toutant, Plant Saiety Patrolman.

John Keeny's (Personnel) son Michael John wasborn March 25 weighing 7 lbs. Susan Marie, weighing 7 lbs., 1 oz . , was born to Joyce (Accounting) and Jim (Projector Assembly) Romine on March 10. Gerald Bowerman, Grinding Room (nights), has a son Kenneth Michael. 6 lbs., 6 oz., born March 11. Vicki Renee was born March 7 to Ralph Cutler, Maintenance. Vicki weighed in at 7 lbs., 7 oz. Harry Link, Grinding, became the proud father of twins, a boy and a girl, on March 8. Harold Louis tipped the scales at 5 lbs., 4 oz. and Helen Lois at 5 lbs., 6 oz. Sandra Kay was born to William Miller, Polishing, on March 9'. Sandra weighed 7 lbs., 4 oz. Ted Tirb, Polishing, has a daughter Becky Lou, born February 22. Becky, who weighed in at 6 lbs., 6 oz., has a brother Torn, age 3.

The big brown eyes above belong to Karen Lynn Scheetz (daughter of Terry, Receiving), who was born last October . Karen was f our months old when this picture was taken.

Bonny Pair Take Dancing Honors

Janet and Jimmy McCrie (children of Bill, Tabulating) are shown above in f uil dancing dress. They have won nine medals and trophies between them f or their Scottish and Irish dances. Redheaded Janet, who is nine years old, wears the Red Fraser clan plaid and has won four prizes for her dancing. Her favorite dance is the Irish Jig. Jimmy, 12, wearing the Roy al Stuart clan plaid, has won five prizes for dancing and cos turn e and likes the Sword Dance best. This dance is perf ormed by making an X on the floor with a sword and its sheath and dancing between the four points. Any dancer who touches either the sword or sheath while doing the dance is automatically disqualified. Jimmy has also been ambitious enough this year

to start taking lessons on the bagpipes. The children, who have taken dancing lessons in Detroit for three years, have performed at many concerts and for church and other organizations .

Notes...

..The Accounting Department enjoyed a dinner and dancing party February 18 at the Skeet Club near Portage Lake. ..Genevieve Wright, Sales, reports that her husband Joe, who broke both of his arms last August, is well on the road to recovery and has both casts off now. Joe is employed as a truck driver.

G. J. Comes Home

Pfc. Raúl R. Uranga (above), who formerly worked in the Paint Shop nights, is scheduled to return to the States from Korea sometime this month. He entered the service in June of 1953, completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and has been in the Far East since December of 1953. Raul is a member of the I Corps 51st Signal Battalion which recently was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Service in Korea.

Dancers Celebrate St. Pat's Day

This is usually the time of year when we start planning Argus Family Night and Community Night. This year, because of the extensive construction going on in Plant I, these events will be deferred until early fallorsuch time as we have completed our construction work and can show our new facilities to families and friends.

G. I. News

Gary Sherman, son of Lee, Machine Shop, left for the service Maren 7. He is stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas with the lOth Infantry División, 85th Regiment. Cpl. Bill Underwood (son of Bill, Accounting), who has been stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, was recehtly assigned to the 537 Engineers1 Fire Fighter Detail in Miesac, Germany. Bill will remain in Germany until his enlistment time is up, which will be in June of 1956. He worked in Production Planning before entering the service.

Women's Golf League Invites Employee Wives

The women's golf league this season is inviting the wives of Argus employees to join them. Information and application blanks will be in the men's golf league boxes or may be obtained from Mary Azary in Stationery Stock, Plant I or Ardie Allison in Engineering, Plant II. For those wives who wish to cali Mary personally, her extensión is 348. The 1955 seasonTs schedule was set up at a meeting April 12. There will be practice rounds May 4 and 11. The league play will be from May 18 through August 31 (excluding vacation in July) with the Field Day September 7. The women's league plays at the Municipal course (Rock Pile) on Wednesdays. Clubs are available for rental for those who do not have the ir own.

Strickland Team Bowls At Jackson

M. T. Strickland & Sons made a good showing in the Michigan State Women's Bowling Tournament at Jackson the week-end of March 18 and 19. Strickland' s team consists of Gerry Space, Carolyn Dancer, Genevieve WrightandDorothy Haarer (substituting for Pat Strickland) of Sales. The fifth member of the team is Lucille Gala (wife of Jan, Production Planning). The girls rolled into 7th place with a total of 2748 pins in their team event. Gerry Space is holding 5th place in All Events, with a total of 1853.

Sports Review

The Argus archers won the Red Arrow league championship and followed that up with a second place in the grand championship competition held on March 30. Congratulations to these men on another fine season. The Lost Five won the Argus men's afternoon bowling championship. Congratulations to Torn Loy, Hubert Allen, Curtis Lewis, Bill Baker, and Gene Ronde, Machine Shop (Nights) and Elmer Johnson, Screw Machine (Nights). The women's bowling league has just two more weeks to go. The standings are the same as when we last reported. The big change, however, is that the second place Ten Pins have really closed the gap on the first place Arg-Eyes. Only 4-12 points separate the two! By the time the next issue of the Eyes is out, the result will no longer be in doubt. In the men's league, with four weeks remaining, the Thirsty Five are still in first place, followed not too closely by the Machine Shop crew of George Kline, Don Crump, Bill Betke, Lewis Belleau and Sam McGarry. Hot on the heels of the first two teams are the boys f rom Lens Tool. Although the outcome is still in doubt, it will take some real bowling by the other teams to stop the Thirsty Five from coming home in the munber one position.

Greater Detroit Camera Club Council Visits Argus

The Argus Camera Club played host the evening of February 21 to the Greater Detroit Camera Club Council. Guest Council members lectured the club on club activity and council benefits. The prints hanging on the cafeteria wall which a p p e a r in the pictures to the right we re shown by the Council.

Argus Eyes

Published monthly for the employees of Argus Cameras, Inc. and their families. Editor- Millie Haynie REPORTERS: Machine Shop, DOROTHY LIXEY - Paint Shop, WILMA SIMMONS - Camera Assembly, RUTH O' HARE - Lens Processing, BETTY SHATTUCK - Maintenance, EMIL JOHNSON - Optical Assembly, Inspection, JEAN FITZGERALD - Engineering, JIM MELDRUM - Standards, VIRGINIA BIRNEY - Production Planning, PATT DUCHARME - Tool Room, BILL FIKE - Shipping, HILDA WHITE - Accounting, BEULAH NEWMAN - Service, TOM KENTES - Night Shift, GEORGE NAVARRE and LEO WIEDERHOFT. Feature Writers: Robert Lewis, Andy Argus, Art Parker, Jr. Photoprinting: Jan Gala

Argus "at Home" In New Warehouse

The "at home" sign is officially hung at

the new Argus warehouse at 1621 S. State Street, the confusión of moving is completely over, and the warehouse crew- like any family that moves f rom one house to another- is breathing sighs of relief. Packing, weighing, office and storage as well as shipping facilities are provided in the new warehouse . Formerly storage was located at the

Benz warehouse and all other operations were handled on the second f loor of Plant I. Now the new, spacious working quarters provide room for the entire shipping crew at one time and elimínate the need for anyone to work nights . The new facilities have also increased the departmentTs working efficiency and made for more pleasant working conditions for all.