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Show Pottery Maker to Sell Plant to Aid Workers SCIO, O. Lew Reese, owner of possibly the most famous pottery plant in the United States, has decided de-cided to sell his business. The plant In the town of 1,200 has turned out a superior product for years, but It became famous because be-cause Reese always thought of the welfare and problems of his employees em-ployees above everything else. Reese went to Scio In 1932 and took over an abandoned pottery mill. Practically singlehanded he turned it Into a livelihood for the town. Since that time he has made it a practice to turn the profits back to the employees. Plant and profits grew, and Reese gave out more than $1,000,000 in bonuses. Then disaster. On December 11, 1947, a fire destroyed the $2,000,-000 $2,000,-000 plant. The townspeople dug in to help "the boss." Local, national, and even foreign manufacturers, who heard about Reese's benevolence, benevo-lence, "chipped in for Lew." Three months after the fire, pottery pot-tery again rolled over the lines of a completely new plant and some called it "a miracle." Now the plant will be sold. "What will happen to them (the employees) if I should die? I'll tell you they'd have to sell this place just to cover the Inheritance taxes." "By selling," Reese said, "I can give them the money I get for the plant." The price is $3,000,000. There's only one string connected connect-ed with the sale. Reese said he will insist that he be given a 10-year contract as general manager of the plant. He also said he would not sell to anyone who would not use his labor-relations program a system sys-tem of share and share alike. |