Special Report: Where Does Whitesell Money Go?

For some time, we have received questions about an OSHA investigation into Whitesell Industries located in Muscle Shoals. Until now, we had no information that could be substantiated. That changed yesterday when OSHA announced it was fining the multimillionaire industrialist Neil Loftin Whitesell's company three million dollars for tens of safety and health violations.

U. S.Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Soils addressed the matter in a prepared statement: “Whitesell willfully tampered with the safety mechanisms of its hydraulic forging presses at its Tuscumbia plant to speed up production, resulting in the amputation of a worker’s hand,” Solis said. “Companies like Whitesell that value short-term gain over their workers’ safety will be held responsible for their reckless actions.”

Many may remember that before Dr. David Bronner and the RSA stepped in, Whitesell was close to purchasing the Renaissance Tower for pennies on the dollar. His intentions? He thought it would make a great "giant screw."

Puns are so tempting here, but taking the higher road we'll end our report with a photograph. Below is the Naples, Florida, home (32K square foot mega-mansion) currently being built by the industrialist while at least one of his employees lost a hand due to cost-cutting measures at Whitesell's local plants.

Sources say that Whitesell and his wife Tracy Crump, daughter of Gene Crump, now permanently reside in Naples, Florida. Let's all look closely at the photo of the Whitesell's mansion--was it worth an employee's hand?