[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 130 (Thursday, September 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN CELEBRATION OF ALLISON TRANSMISSION'S CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

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                          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.

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