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46 Dexter-Russell On May 19, 1977, a groundbreaking ceremony launched the project that added one- third more manufacturing space to the existing plant, upgraded several departments and renovated several old buildings to blend with a new 43,000 square foot addition. HANDS-ON LEADERSHIP In 1974, Hardy hired Edmond Neal, an experienced hand tool salesman. Extremely well educated, he embodied a strong competitive spirit and was highly knowledgeable about the knife industry. In spite of several new manufacturing processes and the addition of more modern machinery, some inefficiencies persisted during Neal's early days at Russell-Harrington. When he purchased new equipment, quality improved, as did production; in a short time, 80 percent of orders were shipped within the first week of being placed. Previously, deliveries had been delayed as production quantities were based on yearly sales; factory production schedules were reorganized to make items based on demand. In 1992, Neal was named president after serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer. A hands-on leader with a strong sales background, Neal was always aware of sales figures. Early in his leadership, he noticed that the sales force still had very large territories, which limited the frequency of visits they could make and, ultimately, affected sales numbers. To offer better customer service, Neal, like Hardy, hired more salesmen. e result? e factory began operating two shifts to keep up as sales increased in the first year under his leadership. Furthermore, cash bonuses motivated salesmen to increase sales efforts, boosting revenues. To reward those efforts, Neal created the Silver Arrow Award, which is given annually to the top salesman for the year. 1977 groundbreaking, (L-R) Richard Martin, Richard Hardy and Ernest Jost of E.J. Cross Inc. Edmond Neal