I loved my job at Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
50th anniversary issue of 'Armstrong Today'
Based in Lancaster, Pa., Armstrong was founded in 1860 as a cork bottle-top manufacturer. My boss, Joseph R. DiSanto, managed the employee communications department; Joe (who died in 2015) was a very smart man and wonderful writing teacher.
When I joined the company, Armstrong had factories all over the world, where they made flooring, ceiling tiles, insulation and gaskets. Subsidiaries made furniture, ceramic tile and high-end architectural finishings.
Sometimes the factory managers would request a business writing course that Joe had designed. When I taught his course at the factories, my favorite part of the gig was touring the production lines. It's a thrill to see raw materials being mixed and shaped and made into a finished product.
Employee Communications published the in-house magazine, Armstrong Today, and several news bulletins. We managed translations for the employees in foreign countries, wrote speeches, started and ran an in-house television network, and applied for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (the ceilings division won in 1995). Varied projects, great people: a terrific place to work. I owe my career and everything I know about editing to Joe DiSanto.
After six years, though, I left Lancaster for San Francisco, where I spent a happy summer casually looking for work. I landed at Macy's West.
When I joined the company, Armstrong had factories all over the world, where they made flooring, ceiling tiles, insulation and gaskets. Subsidiaries made furniture, ceramic tile and high-end architectural finishings.
Sometimes the factory managers would request a business writing course that Joe had designed. When I taught his course at the factories, my favorite part of the gig was touring the production lines. It's a thrill to see raw materials being mixed and shaped and made into a finished product.
Employee Communications published the in-house magazine, Armstrong Today, and several news bulletins. We managed translations for the employees in foreign countries, wrote speeches, started and ran an in-house television network, and applied for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (the ceilings division won in 1995). Varied projects, great people: a terrific place to work. I owe my career and everything I know about editing to Joe DiSanto.
After six years, though, I left Lancaster for San Francisco, where I spent a happy summer casually looking for work. I landed at Macy's West.
Inside spreads from the 50th anniversary issue
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Armstrong's long history and strong culture are cause for celebration.
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