In Celebration of Allison Transmission's Centennial Anniversary

In Celebration of Allison Transmission's Centennial Anniversary

Topics: Allison Transmission

In Celebration of Allison Transmission's Centennial Anniversary

Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-IN)
Congressional Record: 114th Congress
Extensions of Remarks
September 10, 2015

SPEECH OF HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS OF INDIANA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Allison Transmission in celebration of its 100th anniversary. The company has a rich history in Indianapolis, but its accomplishments can be seen globally. It is my privilege to honor this strong Hoosier company as it celebrates 100 years of excellence.

Since its founding in 1915, Allison Transmission has become the largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions and a leader in hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. The company's heritage traces back to when James Allison, co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and part owner of several racing reams, founded the Indianapolis Speedway Team Company.

While at first the company was focused on racecars, the company switched gears after the start of World War I and put all of its resources toward helping the United States military. In 1920, the name was changed to Allison Engineering Company. For its first couple of decades, Allison primarily manufactured engines and service parts for the military, but in 1946 Allison entered the commercial transmission field and would later go on to create the world's first fully automatic transmission. Since then, Allison Transmission has produced over 5 million transmissions and over 1 million fully automatic transmissions.

The company is a leader in innovative technological advancements and is responsible for multiple groundbreaking inventions. In addition to the world's first fully automatic transmission, one of its most notable inventions is steel-backed bronze bearings, which extend the service life of aircraft engines and were famously used in Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis in 1927.

Allison Transmission has strong roots in Indianapolis and its headquarters remains there today. The company now has an international presence with over 2,700 employees, a market presence in more than 80 countries, and approximately 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. Allison transmissions can be found in cities and rural areas across the globe in a wide variety of applications such as buses, trains, cars, trucks, and airplanes.

James Allison founded the company under 5 key values: innovation, quality, integrity, customer focus, and teamwork. These values have led the company to its many achievements and remain evident today through the hard work and dedication of its employees. The company's commitment to providing high-quality services that improve efficiency and make work as easy as possible for their customers is manifested in the unrivaled reliability and durability of their transmissions.

In addition to all of Allison's achievements in the manufacturing world, they also have a robust history of community involvement. As part of their centennial celebration, Allison Transmission will be sponsoring a variety of community activities, including the building of a house for a family in need, sponsoring an essay contest for students at James A. Allison Elementary School in Speedway, and awarding 100 scholarships to local college students. The company has also earned the prestigious Centennial Business Award of the Indiana Historical Society.

On behalf of the citizens of Indiana's Fifth Congressional District, I would like to congratulate Allison Transmission on the celebration of its centennial anniversary. I am proud to represent a city that is home to exemplary businesses such as this one. I wish Allison Transmission all the best as it embarks on its next 100 years of excellence.