[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE CENTENNIAL OF ALLISON TRANSMISSION, INCORPORATED IN 
                         INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2015

  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize one 
of Indianapolis' and Indiana's most venerable employers, Allison 
Transmission Inc., as the company celebrates its Centennial this month. 
One hundred years ago, James A. Allison established the Speedway Team 
Company to support his Indianapolis 500 racing activities. On the first 
day of operation, with great significance, he hung a sign that read, 
``Whatever leaves this shop over my name must be of the finest work 
possible.'' A century later, this principle still guides the company 
that bears his name.
  From the company's humble beginnings as a small machine shop, Allison 
Transmission has grown into the world's largest manufacturer of fully 
automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles 
and a leader in hybrid propulsion. Allison is a major supplier of 
transmissions for wheeled and tracked vehicles that keep our military 
strong and our soldiers safe, a lineage that can be traced back to 1917 
and the advent of World War I.
  With its headquarters and primary manufacturing facilities still in 
Indianapolis, Hoosiers are proud of Allison's 2,700 employees 
worldwide, its market presence in more than 80 countries, annual 
revenues exceeding $2 billion, and a market capitalization of more than 
$5 billion. Allison Transmission is poised to remain one of the United 
States' most enduring examples of technological innovation and 
manufacturing excellence that all Americans can be proud of as we 
compete globally to grow jobs at home. Under the leadership of its 
dynamic CEO Lawrence Dewey, and through a strong partnership with the 
United Auto Workers, Allison Transmission continues to employ Hoosiers 
at wages that support strong families and the civic life of our 
community.
  It is a special source of pride to me, Mr. Speaker, that Allison 
Transmission played a key role in founding MEPI, the Minority 
Engineering Program Indianapolis, a non-profit organization that 
encourages and prepares underrepresented minority students to enter 
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) related career fields. 
For 25 years, Allison Transmission has provided MEPI students with 
financial support, mentors, instructors and access to its facilities 
for instructional purposes.
  The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is one of the nation's largest 
and most proactive organizations that provide minority students with 
educational opportunities at historically black colleges and 
universities. As a result of a partnership with Allison Transmission, 
the UNCF's Bowling for Scholars Bowl-A-Thon has become its second 
largest fundraising activity in the Midwest.
  In November 2011, the Indiana Minority Supplier Dealer Council 
(IMSDC) awarded Allison Transmission its ``Corporation of the Year'' 
award. The award was in recognition of Allison's outreach efforts to 
increase the number of minority suppliers that do business with the 
company. Its employees have also served on the IMSDC board of 
directors, attended supplier fairs and sponsored local events that 
provide financial support to IMSDC.
  In closing, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our 
congratulations to Allison Transmission for 100 years of success which 
has provided economic security to tens of thousands of Hoosiers and 
their families and an enhanced quality of life for all of us who call 
Indianapolis home.

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