Martin Heiskell had good timing in his career change. A few months ago, Heiskell worked for a competitor of Johns Manville Corporation. Today, he is plant manager for the Natchez Manville facility, a job he relishes.

&uot;Johns Manville is the leader in its industry,&uot; said Heiskell, who began his new position at the plant on Liberty Road on Dec. 15.

&uot;We are the only major player in the building materials group to become free and clear from the asbestos litigation, and now we’re on the leading edge of the industry.&uot;

Heiskell has been impressed with the steps Manville took, beginning in the 1980s, to provide a way to deal with the asbestos-related health claims filed against the company.

&uot;In the 1980s, Johns Manville filed for bankruptcy and formed a trust, which took over the company with the purpose of settling those claims,&uot; Heiskell said.

Other companies chose not to go into bankruptcy and have not emerged from the legal problems with the same effectiveness that Manville has achieved.

Last week, in fact, Manville was acquired by the Warren Buffett holding company Berkshire Hathaway and now is poised to become stronger than ever, Heiskell said.

Federal bankruptcy courts recently allowed Manville to separate from the trust, which until then had owned the company.

That court decision made the company an attractive buy for Berkshire Hathaway.

Meanwhile, the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust continues to operate independently for its original purpose of settling claims.

At Natchez, where 150 people are employed to manufacture commercial roof and insulation board and commercial rolled roofing, Heiskell sees a good future for the Manville operation.

&uot;The plant is fairly mature, and we have the capacity to increase production,&uot; he said. &uot;The roofing market has been soft for about three years, but still one of my goals is to expand.&uot;

Heiskell said Manville’s Natchez plant is positioned very well to operate into the future.

&uot;This job is what I’d like to do for a long time,&uot; he said. &uot;I have a young family and staying home rather than doing a lot of traveling is important to me now.&uot;

Heiskell and his wife, Melissa, and their two children, Cameron, 7, and Mariella, 4, are moving into their Natchez home this week.

&uot;I really like Natchez, and my wife does, too. This is a typical small town but with so much more to offer than most towns its size,&uot; he said.

His wife’s family hails from Greenville, Heiskell said. She grew up in Kentucky, however.

His own childhood was for the most part in Puerto Rico, where business took his father for many years.

&uot;I’ve lived from South America to all up the East Coast,&uot; he said.

Heiskell hopes to be active in the community. &uot;I believe it’s important to set the pace in a community, to be responsible neighbors, and as plant manager I will be the face of the company.&uot;

Heiskell has worked in manufacturing since 1986. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s of business administration.

His past experience has been with companies such as Texaco, Huntsman Chemicals and GAF, where he has worked in engineering, health safety, environmental safety and production management.

At Manville, his job covers the whole range of his experience. &uot;I’m responsible for the entire plant,&uot; he said.

&uot;From financial to product quality to safety and productivity – all the plant functions.&uot;