Letter from the President

If you are receiving this newsletter, you have expressed an interest in keeping informed of Firestone Liberia's work — I'm pleased to announce that we have redesigned our Web site and created this quarterly publication to help you do just that.

As you may know, Firestone Liberia has committed to help rebuild Liberia after it was destroyed during a 14-year civil war. We have initiated an aggressive rubber tree replanting program to help revive Liberia's rubber industry, and we have already begun to reconstruct schools and medical facilities. 

The new Web site and companion newsletter will help you keep apprised of the work we are doing by bringing you factual, up-to-date information from inside the company and on the ground in Liberia.

Thank you for your interest in our company and its employees.

Enjoy!

Dan Adomitis, President
Firestone Natural Rubber Company, LLC

FAWUL Leadership and Strike

The recent controversy regarding union leadership, and the resulting strike at our operation, is an internal dispute between two groups for control of the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL). It is not a dispute between the company and the union.

While we have no interest in internal union matters, we do have an interest in working with the union and its members, who are our employees. We want to work together to create an environment that enables the company and our employees to succeed in ways that strengthen the business, the local community and Liberia itself.

It is disheartening that while Firestone is making great strides in education, housing and health, some continue to instigate this type of activity, which only serves to undermine the progress our dedicated workers are making in replanting, reconstructing and rehabilitating the business. Unfortunately, this strike has for the first time shamefully resulted in the closing of the Harbel School System, interrupting the education of 15,000 of Liberia's children. Strikers have also burned an administration building and looted a medical clinic that served many Firestone families.

We respect the rule of law in Liberia, and accordingly, we will respect the court's decision on the union leadership matter still under review. We will work with whomever the government ultimately determines is the legally recognized leadership of FAWUL.

Prior to the contested elections, Firestone Natural Rubber Company was negotiating with union leaders on a new labor contract. We are hopeful that we can resume progressive labor contract negotiations soon.

Replanting Liberia's Rubber Industry

Liberia's 14-year civil war devastated the nation's rubber industry — damaging trees and bringing planting to a standstill. Lahai McGill's rubber farm in Totota was no exception.

Thanks to Firestone Liberia's sapling distribution program, McGill and other independent rubber farmers in Lower Bong County are busy replanting their damaged crops.

"The free rubber saplings distribution exercise initiated by Firestone Liberia is serving as an impetus for more Liberians to get involved in the rubber farming business and replanting of damaged rubber farms," McGill said.

As part of a larger effort to help resuscitate the dying rubber industry in Liberia, Firestone has donated free rubber saplings to independent farmers in Lower Bong County.

According to Kovhle Baysah, the effort's coordinator, Firestone supplied 700 farmers in Totota, Felela and other areas of the country with 38,000 free rubber saplings. He said the farmers were doing well at capitalizing on the opportunity to replant their private farms.

"Every Liberian farmer who is interested in replanting his farm or has the land to plant rubber is eligible to receive free rubber saplings from Firestone as long as they are available," Baysah said.

Baysah has decided to start a mini-nursery in the area to buttress the efforts of Firestone because of the huge influx of farmers from other areas who have expressed interest in the program.

Rufus Karmorh, Public Affairs Manager at Firestone Liberia, said that Firestone has freely distributed more than 600,000 rubber saplings to Liberian rubber farmers, which is enough to replant more than 3,000 acres.

Vol. 1, Iss. 1
Dec. 20, 2007

Latest News Cargo Donation Program Extended through 2008 Firestone Natural Rubber Company, LLC (FSNR) announced on Dec. 6, 2007, that it is extending its cargo donation program through 2008. In 2006, FSNR began dedicating space on its ships for relief goods and other donated cargo from aid organizations to help rebuild this West African nation. Since that time, nearly 30 aid organizations have signed up to ship donated goods — including medicine, vitamins, food, generators and building materials. Read more >