Allison celebrates century

Tracing its corporate lineage back to the founding of the Indianapolis Speedway Team Co on September 14, 1915, this year will see Allison Transmission celebrate its centenary.

As a co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and part owner of several racing teams, James A. Allison established a precision machine shop and experimental engineering firm on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana, to support his racing endeavours. He called the fledgling business Allison Experimental Co.

From those humble beginnings the company now boasts 2700 employees and annual revenue of $US2 billion, with a market presence in 80 countries and manufacturing facilities in the US, Hungary and India.

Allison Transmission's Chairman, President and CEO, Lawrence E Dewey, said the company would be shining a spotlight on its proud history throughout 2015.

"Both our company and its founder have incredibly rich, storied histories," he said.

"We look forward to sharing our heritage on a global scale this year with employees, business partners and the communities in which we conduct business."

Mr Dewey said the firm's early guiding principles remain unchanged.

"Our company was founded on the values of innovation, quality and reliability," he said.

"Although 100 years have passed, I'm very proud to say those remain our driving values today. With our products and services, we are improving the way the world works."

Allison Transmission says it's now the world's largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for commercial vehicles, while also being a leader in hybrid propulsion systems.