Evening star., 1943-08-15
Jack & Heintz Solve Absenteeism
BY J. A. FOX,
Stal staff Correspondeni

Jack and HeintZ plant here stopped
to watch an attractive girl making
delicate test OF an airplane starter
part-and was Immediately greeted
by howls from the hundred or so
other girls in the room, and an
upr oarious banging on work benches
Startled and confused when it
became apparent that he was the
target OF the outburst, the visitor
turned inquiringly to his companion,
a prominent Cleveland businessman,
who obviously was enjoying the
scene.
That's the wolf cry, you're get
ting" he was told.
The industrialist. who is decidedly
not the wolf type, got the idea all
right, but didn't think much of it.
If that happened in our place,
everybody who had any part in it
would be fired" he growled in tone
that clearly indicated he thought
boiling in oil would be even better
His companion. who had seen
similar demonstrations before, only
laughed.
Helps Girls Relax.
"It's harmless" he observed, land
it helps the girls relaX-relieves the
strain of difficult job-and be-
lieve it or not, that's an important
part of getting this work done. Just
watch and see if you don't agree"
The other visitor continued to ex-
press amazement that such an up
roar could be considered a morale
builder or production speeder, but
his reaction was simply typical of
that of the average stranger going
into the sprawling Jack and Heintz
plant, which produces starters,
automatic pilots, and other vital
flying devices used by American air
fighters.
At times, this lusty war baby
seems to be operated along the gen.
eral lines of a first-class madhouse,
what with the employes-who work
by music and are called "associ-
ates"-getting free meals, free shoes,
free parking, rubdowns and hot
steam baths, paid-up vacations at
company-leased resorts, and fan
tastic wages to enumerate a few of
the so-called production incen-
tives" adopted by the management,
but on the word of astute observers,
even the harshest critics OF such un-
orthodox business methods are be-
ginning to wonder If perhaps they
may not be paying off.
Work Seven Days a Week.
For example, Jack and Heintz en-
ploys 1900 men and 1890 women
who work on 12-hour shifts, seven
days week, which are long hours
in any language. But-and this is
important - in more than five
months now, there has not been a
single case of unauthorized alb
senteeism, and mighty few of the
excusable sort.
Production schedules, visitors are
told, are met-and exceeded-and
while there is lag now, this is due,
it Is explained, to shortages in
magnesium, aluminium and steel.
The directing genius of this odd
institution is William S. Jack, one
time fighter and union business
agent, who is Bill" to everybody,
whether it is one of the $400-a-
month Eyes, that's right floor
sWeepers, or the aristocrats of the
place, the top grinders, whose pay
checks call for $700 or better. Bill,
S. and graying, is an old machine
tool man who SCOTS at his own
mechanical ability.
His partner is middle -aged Ralph
Heintz, who, everybody around the
place swears is mechanical genius.
staying quietly in the background
studying, planning, as the flannel
shirted Bill bobs around with the
easy grace of the prize ring keeping
things moving. For weeks at a
time, Ralph-he's that to everybody
never leaves the plant, mapping on
cot when he finally has to rest.
and there are long stretches too
when steam-room table is Bills
bed.
Firm Organized in 1910.
Jack and Heintz was organized
late in 1910, with an original in
vestment of 100000 furnished by
the former. Later, it is said, about
S500,00 more was scraped together
to put in the property, which began
as a manufacturer of Navy plane
starters and gradually has added
the other items.
The first plant, single unit, with
56 employees, was located at Bedford
suburb, within few miles from
where Bill Jack and his brother
George were reared in poverty. Now,
there are five units-or plants-in
Bedford and another in Cleveland
Last years gross business was about
24000,000 This year, the outfit is
talking in terms of s15O,00OOOO
A year ago the company made the
headlines-and unfavorably-when
the lavish use OF funds derived from
Government contracts came under
the fire of the House Naval Investi-
eating Committee which summed up
the inquiry with a blistering indict-
ment.
The company was accused of "ex-
cessive profits from Government
contracts, derived from facilities
constructed with public funds, and
the dissipation OF those profits
through huge and unreasonable
salaries and bonuses to certain
favored employees as we'll as to