Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 8, 1993 TAG: 9307080219
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FAIRLAWN LENGTH: Medium
The air conditioning in the arsenal's main administration building has been on the fritz since Tuesday.
Best took over as general manager for Hercules, which operates the munitions plant for the U.S. Army, on July 1 and his first week has been uneventful - with the exception of the air-conditioning glitch during the summer heat wave.
"It's been a nice, quiet week," he said.
Best, who came to the Radford plant in 1989 as operations manager, replaced E.K. "Skip" Hurley, who was appointed vice president of business operations at Hercules' corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Del.
Hercules didn't fill the operations manager position, so Best finds himself doing two jobs.
"I'm doing everything I was before, plus a lot of new stuff," he said. "It's a real challenge."
Best knows his schedule soon will become hectic. He is taking over at an uncertain time for the ammunition plant. Defense cuts have forced Hercules to lay off about 2,000 workers in the past two years.
Starting in 1994, Hercules will have a contract allowing it to do commercial jobs while it is still producing propellant for the Army. Congress passed a defense appropriations bill last year that provides the Department of Defense $200 million for attracting commercial work.
It's too early to tell if commercial work will create new jobs at the plant, Best said.
"That's the crystal-ball thing," he said. "If we could see the future then we could win the Powerball [lottery] that's up to $100 million."
Best wouldn't speculate about whether more layoffs are on the horizon. But he said announcing cutbacks are the toughest part of any management job.
"It's difficult to see a community go down," he said.
A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Best began his career with Hercules in 1976 as a safety inspector in Taunton, Mass. He transferred to Radford from Kenvil, N.J., where he was plant manager.
Chuck Lee, personnel director at the arsenal, said he doesn't expect Best to make any dramatic changes right off the bat.
"I think it's a little too early to tell . . . but I don't believe anything major will happen," he said.
Nicole Kinser, public affairs officer, said Best is more of a "people person than his predecessor. Mr. Hurley was a little more introverted."
Best, however, is hardly an extrovert and he doesn't look forward to the publicity that his new job brings.
The new general manager lives on a 15-acre "mini-farm" in the Draper section of Pulaski County. He enjoys golf and tennis.
"I'm really excited," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."
by CNB