The GM Hydra-Matic transmission plant in Livonia burns down and continues in the former Ford bomber and later Kaiser factory: Willow Run
If Americans were asked about the best automotive innovations of the last century, most would mention the automatic transmission. It is equivalent to the starter motor when it comes to ease of driving. The starter motor allowed more women to drive, the automatic transmission allowed almost every woman to drive. Despite previous efforts to avoid gear changes, such as the Carter friction transmission and the Owen Magnetic, General Motors (GM) was credited with building the first successful fully automatic transmission. The Hydramatic. And he certainly was successful. Of course it was built in our own factory.
The information about the fire is based in part on an eyewitness account.
Livonia, Michigan. At the end of the 1940s, the area took its first major step from agriculture to commerce and industry. In 1948 the General Motors Corporation built an automatic transmission factory there. A Ford Motor Company parts factory soon followed. This post-war state-of-the-art factory was the only production facility for the Hydra-matic transmission.
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At the traffic light a Pontiac pulls away and accelerates to 100 without the familiar klonk at 45 km/h.
Elsewhere, an Oldsmobile salesperson asks how he explains the dent in the performance image to the customer. This was life in the fall of 1953. Something was missing... the 4-speed Hydra-matic.
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The largest industrial fire under one roof in American history happened at this General Motors factory on August 12, 1953. It cost 6 people $50 million lives (source GM Heritage Center). This involved the Hydra-matic plant on Plymouth Road, Livonia, Michigan. I worked for the Ternstedt Division using the eastern part of the building for two
government contracts. One was for a state-of-the-art guidance system for the US Air Force and the other for a range finder to be used on tanks.
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One afternoon, all kinds of alarms sounded. The story went that a greasy piece of cloth accidentally caught fire during welding and ended up on a conveyor belt for parts. As a result, it set all sorts of things on fire along the way.
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The real story was quite similar, the fire started when a number of external construction workers with an acetylene cutting torch ignited a container of highly flammable liquid in a conveyor belt. This fluid was used as an anti-corrosion agent for transmission parts. Attempts to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers were almost successful. Almost, because they ran out quickly. The fire spread very quickly through the 140,000 m2 building. Within minutes, the fire engulfed the entire building, including the small Ternstedt division (12,000 m2). They made interior hardware for GM such as door and window handles.
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By the time firefighters arrived from all over Detroit, the roof had collapsed. They could no longer enter the building. The smoke could be seen up to 30 km away. The heat was so intense that the factory frame melted. The fire extinguished itself the next day, leaving behind an area reminiscent of Hiroshima (see photo).
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15 seriously injured and 6 dead, 3 members of the Ternstedt company fire brigade and a member of the Livonia fire brigade who suffered an acute heart attack while clearing the fire hoses. A few days later, two construction workers were electrocuted while clearing rubble. William Degner and Danny Staley. Given the magnitude of the fire and the fact that the building was completely destroyed in 20 minutes, it was a miracle that all 4,200 employees were able to get out in time.
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GM's accessory group leader Sherwood Skinner was in New York taking the first flight to Livonia when he learned of the fire. During the flight, he formulated the skeleton of a rescue plan. GM assembled a team to plan to start production at the Willow Run plant. The team worked 12 hours a day and after 17 days the plan was ready.
This August 12 fire forced Detroit Transmission and the other companies that used this transmission plant to look for other buildings and transmissions to complete production for the model year. It brought all of GM to a halt. Temporary 93,000 employees had to go home. A limited number of people were working to finish the cars for which the parts were available. As a result of the fire, Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs were assembled with Buick Dynaflow transmissions from September. Pontiac used Chevrolet's Powerglide (a simple Dynaflow). GM didn't make it easy. Special bellhousings were made and the Cadillacs even had a different crankshaft. Even the connection to the differential was adjusted along with a different rear axle ratio at, for example, Oldsmobile, this increased the speed for the torque converter by 10 percent. An anti-stall mechanism was even available, simply by using Buick and Chevrolet carburettors. The owner's manuals were adapted and the mechanics at the dealers were trained. Some of these cars are still there as a kind of reminder of the fire. Although not always popular then, they are now collector's items.
Despite the use of other transmissions, not all employees were able to get to work yet. At Cadillac, 4,000 people still stayed at home and at Oldsmobile 5,300. The Fleetwood Fisher Body factory even temporarily laid off 3,000 employees. It also hit the suppliers, leaving 25,000 Michigan people out of jobs for months. The manufacturers who bought the Hydra-matic from GM also had to look for other automatic transmissions during this downtime. Lincoln even decided to stop production for 55 days, resulting in a loss of 7,000 transactions, but a part was absorbed by Ford's Cruise-O-Matic.
The only positive thing about this huge fire was that serious thought was now being given to the disastrous consequences of fire. The awakening of the industry resulted in strict requirements in the field of firefighting. Fire can reduce production to 0 and keep it there. It was said that it was fortunate that this huge fire started at a company that has the financial means to bear such a loss.
About 12 weeks after the Livonia fire, on November 4, 1953, GM opened the doors of a new Hydra-matic plant in Ypsilanti, Willow Run, Michigan. GM acquired this gigantic ex-Ford bomber factory from Kaiser-Frazer for $26 million. GM completely renovated it after which it was renamed 'Hydra-matic Division'. The machines were installed in record time. The first Hydra-matics were produced after just 9 weeks. GM sent the first transmissions to Hudson, Kaiser and Nash.
By the time the 1954 models debuted, in late 1953, Hydra-matic production was back to normal and all '54 Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs with automatic transmissions were restocked with Hydra-matics. GM knew how to fix things in 1953!
The factory in Livonia was rebuilt after the fire and in 1954 it continued as a Fisher Body factory and produced car parts for the interior, among other things. The factory then continued as a GM interior parts factory and closed its doors in 1995. Since then the factory has been known as Plymouth Road Technical Center.
The Willow Run Factory - Ford to Build Bombers
The factory started in 1941 because it became clear to Roosevelt, among others, that
America was going to get involved in the war, that's what he sent for
at. Aircraft manufacture was largely done manually and
it was determined that many would be needed. Many companies became
asked whether the production would be according to the mass production principle
can. The government called this the "Liberator Production Pool"
Program'. Ford Motor Company was one of the companies that
wanted to fulfill the task. The factory opened in 1942, in October came
the first bomber off the assembly line, 'The Spirit of Ypsilanti'
and cost $300,000. Mass production started in 1943. The story of Willow Run is the story of adaptation and courage and the 'American Spirit'.
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The Willow Run Assembly Plant was designed by Albert Kahn (who died in 1942) for $100 million. Henry was officially retired but still had a say at the top. The government wanted to give him $200 million for construction. He didn't want the government to finance the construction. He wanted to pay for it himself, then sell it to the government and lease it back for the time needed with the option of buying it back after the war. There were rumors that Ford wanted to build tractors there, but that never got off the ground. Ford eventually sold the land to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation's Defense Plant Corporation (predecessor to the Department of the Treasury) in July 1944. The building was not intended for automobile production, although it was built by an automobile magnate and designed around automobile manufacturing. methods of the time. The plans were drawn up in no time and the nickname was therefore soon 'Willit Run' because it was designed and built so hastily.
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It was built on Henry Ford farmland. Owned by Quick Farms since the 1920s, Henry Ford bought it in 1931. Henry was a big believer in the benefits of farming. On the property was Henry Ford's 'Camp Willow Run'. A camp for 'Boys who need a change to get started'. In 1939 Henry Ford bought a large tract of farmland and opened 'Camp Willow Run' to young men. It was a social experiment. He wanted boys from the big cities to get in touch with farming life, nature, self discipline and hard work. The sons of WW I veterans lived in the camp from April to November. She worked 8 hours a day and earned 25 cents a day, a good income at the time. The items they used were often donated. The products she produced were sold in roadside stalls and the profits were shared with the boys. They ate in a large hall and went to church in the chapel. They slept in tents on the property. The camp's existence was threatened by Ford Motor Company managers, Henry's son Edsel Ford, and Charles Sorenson. They had their eye on this plot of land for the construction of the bomber factory. Part of the site was now 'Camp Willow Run'. Henry Ford did not agree, he wanted to grow soybeans on part of the property. Unbeknownst to him, one morning a steam bulldozer began digging the foundations for the factory, thus ending the era of agriculture. Incidentally, the name Willow Run came from a small river in the area.
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In 1941, when war was raging across the ocean, a select group of Ford employees traveled to San Diego for a tour of the Consolidated Aircraft Company, where the B-24 was then being forested. Plans for an own factory had already been made. The first work consisted of the construction of the airport. The project began on July 23, 1941 and was completed on December 4, 1941. Since the 1920s, Ford had no interface with aircraft. Ford would manufacture B24 components and final production would be done by Consolidated at their Forth Worth plant and by Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma. However, in October 1941, Ford received permission from Consolidated and the Defense Department to completely assemble the B24 at the Willow Run factory. From that moment on, it took another year for the first complete B24 to roll off the production line.
It was the largest factory under one roof in America at the time. The surface area of the main building was larger than the 3 competing factories combined. It was described by Charles Lindbergh as the Grand Canyon of the mechanized world. The building had an L shape instead of the usual rectangular shape for a production facility. This was because part of the building would come under the Wayne County Municipality. A pro Roosevelt municipality with higher taxes. Henry Ford had a great aversion to the president, and Harry Bennett had close ties to Earl Mishner, who was an anti-Roosevelt and Congressman for the Washtenaw Municipality and wanted to stay within the municipal boundary.
The new factory soon employed 42,000 people, making it the most densely populated industrial site in the municipality. Walter P. Reuther, head of the UAW union, predicted the factory's contribution: "As the English blows were won in the fields of Eton, the American blows are won on the assembly lines of Detroit." The main building alone consisted of more than 5 million bricks. The length of the 'conveyor' belt was 1.2 km (!) long. The workers used bicycles and scooters to move around the gigantic spaces.
42,000 employees and their problems
Construction alone was not enough. The next big job
was hiring staff. People were hired from all over
(then) 48 states. Recruitment buses were deployed in
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana. Many people heard
and moved, often with the whole family, to Willow Run.
They traveled great distances for a new job in the factory.
On one of the images you can see an overview of the covered
distances in 1942-1943. Many employees put more daily
over 100 miles off and some over 200 miles. On arrival in
the factory, potential employees were interviewed,
subjected to physical testing and often the same day
accepted. This was followed by a training of 8 weeks. With such large workforces, absenteeism was a major problem. If you did work, you were rewarded for it, sometimes up to $100 a week.
A commission of inquiry wrote a report critical of the factory, it seemed
much on car production despite warnings. It caused problems, but also
advantages. Fast production among others One of the problems was that the employees
were used to building airplanes, there was a lot of absenteeism, a rapid turnover of personnel and the rationing of fuel and tires caused problems with commuter traffic. Detroit was soon an hour away. Ford hired 2,900 people in one month, but 3,100 left.
Henry Ford was a cranky and stiff man. He hated unions and there were major staffing problems, including a strike. In addition, he refused to hire women. Out of principle. He eventually gave in, more because the men had to serve on the front lines than because of a rising social conscience. 1/3 of the employees were women. They were welders, metal workers, etc. They were lured to the factory by recruitment posters promising that they would earn the same as their male colleagues. Rose Will Monroe who worked at the factory as a 'riviter' was selected for a short documentary by Walter Pidgeon. He hoped it would play on the patriotism of the viewers. While Rose isn't the real ' Rosie The Riviter ', she is part of the legend. The poster is a lasting image of the contribution of women to the Second World War.
One bomber per hour
At the request of the government, part of the production
decentralized and taken over by other Ford factories
and by subcontractors enabling the factory to
concentrate on the final assembly. All problems
were dissolved and from 1944 Ford produced bombers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Despite the workers becoming more efficient, it was difficult to achieve the goal of 'one bomber per hour'. This was successful for the first time on April 16, 1944. One was completed every 59.34 minutes. They were now being built faster than the Nazis could shoot them down. The name 'Willit Run' soon disappeared from the press.
July 1, 1944 the 5000th B24 was produced.
In September 1942 Franklin D. Roosevelt paid a 1.5-hour visit to the factory. He also visited the chapel (see photo). The new B24s were on site, ready to be tested by test pilots, mostly over Lake Erie. At least 3 B24s crashed during testing. One in Hastings, one in Canton and one in Pontiac, the pilots would have survived. In 1944 Willow Run already produces half of the American B24's, in 1945 that was already 80%. At that time, the bombers 'only' cost $137,000 instead of $300,000. This was due to the efficient way of working. This tremendous achievement by Sorensen and the men and women of Willow Run can only be appreciated when you realize that in 1941, before Ford began manufacturing aircraft, Consolidated needed 201,826 man-hours to make one B24. By March 1944, mass production had reduced this to 17,357 man-hours. Without his vision and his ability to build one B24 per hour, the Allies would never have had enough long-range bombers to carry out the massive attacks on Europe and get the Atlantic 'open' again. Hitler's submarines controlled international waters and shipping routes. In doing so, they destroyed 750,000 tons of cargo during the first three weeks of March 1942. A shortage of long-range bombers had already caused many losses in the Philippines. Includes the "Bataan Death March". Without Charles E. Sorensen's vision and industrial expertise, Hitler might have won the war. The Ford factory became the largest supplier of the B24 during World War II.
In July 1943 Henry Ford turned 80 and was congratulated from all over the country, including by the director of Standard Oil. He stated in his letter that he, like millions of others, he hoped that he would live long so that the world could enjoy in peace the blessings that come from his knowledge and noble spirit.
May 8, 1945, better known as VE Day (Victory in Europe) marked the end of B24 production at Willow Run. Only the unfinished aircraft were completed. 8,685 B24 bombers were built, 6,792 were complete aircraft, 1,893 were 'building kits' that had to be completed elsewhere. The last one was built on June 28, 1945 and would be called the 'Henry Ford'. Henry ultimately refused to do this and decided that the employees should write their names on the plane. With only 4% of the total national population, Michigan produced more war goods than any other state combined with the Chrysler Warren Tank factory. The B24 has been deployed all over the world and has bombed both Berlin and Tokyo. In total there have been 226,775 flights. They shot down 3,617 enemy planes. The last B24 flew in 1968 in the Indian Air Force. Today there are only 11 of the 18,749 left, only 3 of which are fit to fly. The metal frame of 1 B24 is enough to make 55,000 coffee makers, 6800 irons and 550 radio transmitters. After the war, it was the fate of most B24s to be 'converted' in household items. In 1942 Fortune Magazine stated that these planes are the ultimate way to regain initiative in the world. They can save our honour, hopes and necks.
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On May 12, 1946, Ford Motor Company acknowledged the end of its bomber contract with the government. The factory was offered to Ford as discussed, for $20 million. However, Ford's financial condition made this impossible. Ford therefore officially handed over the factory and production facilities to the War Assets Administration, who now had to decide the future of Willow Run.
Mechanic training
Near the factory was an army base, the 3509th. Here civilians were trained to repair, tune and inspect the aircraft. The first arrived in June 1942. The base was set up in the former camp 'Willow Run'. Most of the original buildings and tents were used. In the beginning there was no manual, tool or model. During the existence of the base, two manuals with a total of 700 pages of text and 100 pages of drawings were written. They were trained to plug bullet holes, replace engines, repair fired landing gear and much more. In September 1942, wooden barracks with coal-fired heating were added. In the summer of 1943, 1600 students started training. Every 4 days 240 graduated. They were each assigned to a specific B24 crew. June 25, 1945 the school closed after it trained 21,283 mechanics. The 8,361 m2 of training space was divided between warehouses, a workshop and several hangars. The last remaining hangar became the Yankee Air Museum.
Willow Village
All 42,000 employees had to be accommodated. Many thousands
came from the southern states. Most of them were homesick, had
no shelter and lacked recreational opportunities. Absence at the factory was
high. Due to the relatively high wages, many earned a good salary and then
to go home and only come back when the money ran out, or even stayed away.
The towns and villages nearby housed many of the employees but there remained
a shortage. Thanks to the Lanham Act of October 1940, the government had committed itself
to provide housing for war workers. The contribution of the Federal
Public Housing Administration for Willow Run was $20 million.
Many local newspapers, including Detroit's, encouraged homeowners to rent out rooms. The newspapers also ran advertisements from local contractors offering their services to renovate rooms, install walls or modify attics. Many factory workers complied, while many also slept in their cars or caravans.
Willow Village was created to accommodate 20,000 people and also provided commercial and community facilities. The large influx of people caused many problems for the environment and infrastructure. This was only partly eliminated by the construction of Willow Village. The village was subdivided into different types of houses and these were offered according to the space they wanted and the costs they were willing to incur. Willow Lodge opened in February with 1,900 rooms and seating for 3,000 people. In March 1943, Willow Court Trailers opened with over 960 trailers. The 'West Lodge' had 1,960 rooms along the lines of college dorms and opened in August. A theater with 1,200 seats was also built. July 22, 1943, the Willow Run School District was established. The students came from 36 states and Canada. The school is still open to the local population.
When production of the B24 ceased on June 28, 1945, many families had already returned to their own states. Former soldiers became students and factory workers for the new car factories. Willow Run remained an active area. In 1952, a sociological book on Willow Village was written by Professor Lowell Juilliard Carr of the University of Michigan.
The Airport and University of Michigan
In January 1947, the government sold the airport to the University of Michigan for $1. In 1948, the terminal, also designed by Albert Kahn, was the only terminal in the world to have a theater! The university also established a community center for the students. All kinds of meetings were held.
In a group of hangars, the university ran the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (MARC), later known as Willow Run Laboratories (WRL). Many innovations were produced, including the first ruby laser and the operation of the ruby maser, as well as early research into an anti-ballistic missile defense system. In 1972 the university turned WRL into the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan which eventually settled in Ann Arbor.
In 1977, the university sold the airport to the Wayne City Council for another $1. Before the emergence of the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Willow Run was the main airport in the Detroit area until the 1950s. The last commercial flight took place on March 31, 1966. The 5 runways were unfortunately too short for a fully loaded 747. However, it continued to be used for cargo flights and private planes. Since 2004, the airport has been owned by the Wayne County Airport Authority. In 2006, 180,000 tons of cargo landed there.
The chapel
Henry and Clara Ford dedicated a number of churches to their mothers, Mary Ford and Martha Bryant. They had 7 built, 1 of which was on the Camp Willow Run site. It became the place of worship in Belleville in 1979 after a number of wanderings. After the war, Ford sold the chapel to Kaiser-Frazer who in turn sold it to GM. GM used it as an archive and then sold it to Cherry Hill Baptist Church. When she outgrew the church, she built a new one and sold the church for $1 to Belleville Presbyterian Church in July 1978. It now stands a few miles from the original site that belonged to Quick Farms. Of the 7 chapels, this is the only one still in use as a place of worship. It still has the original pews and other furniture.
Kaiser-Frazer
Kaiser Motors made cars under the Kaiser and Frazer
name from 1947 to 1955. A total of 739,000.
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Industrialist Henry J Kaiser had during the second world war
revolutionized the construction of cargo ships by
apply the principles of mass production to his
Liberty Ships. At one point his team laps in 4
days and 15 hours to build a ship, an unheard of
performance. 25% of its employees were women.
Not Rosies, but Wendy the Welders! Kaiser was not unknown
with major projects, had been the overseer of three major dams,
including Boulder Dam. He got the contracts to build boats
to build. He did so through 7 yards on the west coast. rivets
did not go to work here, the ship parts were welded.
Women were lured with patriotism, but really it was about the money and
the possibilities. People still suffered from the depression and it paid very well.
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At first there was opposition from the unions, the spouses and male colleagues. The overalls, steel-toed shoes and leather aprons came from the men's department and barely fit, yet the Wendy's stood their ground and they were respected. At least for the whites. The blacks just got the lowest jobs no matter what they could. The influx of workers to Portland created a housing shortage. Kaiser therefore built Vanport close to the yard with the profit. Too close to the Columbia River unfortunately. A flood destroyed the entire village in 1948. With the women came the children and babies. Kaiser was concerned about having to take so many days off and the fact that a lot of women were resigning. The management eventually created Kaiser Child Care Center close to the yards. An example that would become a national example.
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In 1945, Kaiser formed a new company with veteran Joseph Frazer on the Graham-Paige ruins where Frazer was previously a director. Joseph Frazer's cousin, Hickman Price Jr, treasurer of the newly formed Kaiser-Frazer,
was looking for a new, modern factory. The production capacity should exceed the maximum capacity of the Graham-Paige plant.
Price visited Willow Run and notified Frazer. He was authorized to sign a letter of intent before the War Assests Administration (WAA). They agreed on the condition that Kaiser-Frazer would raise enough capital to
show that it would be a viable business. The successful issue of shares in September 1945 raised enough capital. Both parties soon signed a 5-year contract with an option to buy. Within a few months, the term was adjusted to 10 years, still including the option to buy. Except for the production of engines, everything was produced 'in-house'. There was even room for the Graham-Paige Rototiller, a garden machine (March 1946 - June 1947).
They took over the personnel of the bomber production lines in order to convert the factory from aircraft to car production. The first car was introduced in 1947 and was sold unchanged through 1949. In early 1948 the Willow Cottage Visitors Center opened. Here people could pick up their new car. Kaiser-Frazer was indispensable and in 1948 the factory was bought. Ownership of the factory would take place in 1969 when the 20-year mortgage expired.
Sales started promisingly but fell sharply in 1949. No one knows why, perhaps because of the new GM and Ford models, perhaps because the initial high demand after the war waned. Anyway, the shine disappeared. Kaiser used marketing well. They used a large glass showroom with turntables. One inside and one on the roof. She wanted to use these throughout the country. Between the photos you can also see a photo for a prototype pavilion with movable fins to get cool air in. The complete 'tent' fit in a trailer and could be set up in 8 hours.
In 1950 the last loan was obtained from the Recovery Finance Corporation . Before the end of 1950, KMC had contracts with the Air Force and the Navy. Wright R-1300 engines were to be built at the Detroit Engine division and the C-119 Flying Boxcar at Willow Run. This is under license from Fairchild Aircraft. 88 were built. Two C-123 Provider frames were also produced, but these were destroyed before delivery due to a tender scandal surrounding the company. The old scale model of the factory was used to fit production in such a way that 400 cars per day could still be produced. Car sales fell, but defense work employed more people than ever. The shareholders had even urged to stop car production completely because in 1948 it only yielded a quarter of the profits. In June 1953, car production was hit by a strike by the UAW (Local 149). Later that month, the Air Force announced that the contract was being terminated. The announcement came on the 23rd and the same day 12,000 employees were laid off.
A few months earlier, the finances had just been finalized for the takeover of Willys-Overland. The decision was also made to transfer production to Toledo, Ohio. While this was going on, a fire destroyed GM's Hydra-matic plant in Livonia. Edgar Kaiser called GM's executives to see if they were interested in renting part of the Willow Run factory. They took immediate action and occupied the area as quickly as it could be cleared. As a result, GM had enough room to build all the transmissions they would ever need, in fact, there was enough room to produce hundreds of cars a day. At the end of 1953, GM owned the plant while KMC was still working in the Experimental Engineering Building. The last cars built were all 1954 Henry J's, the Early Special Kaisers and a handful of Manhattans.
This rolled off the line at the end of 1953. There is another report showing that KMC was still using the factory until April 12, 1954.
After years of loss, Frazer stopped working together and the name was changed to Kaiser Motors. In 1955, Kaiser stops producing cars. In 1962 the name was changed to Kaiser Jeep, after which it was bought by American Motors in 1970, which in turn became part of Chrysler in 1987 as the Jeep-Eagle division. In 1998 Mercedes took over Chrysler and Eagle was dissolved. Today, Fiat holds sway over Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge.
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GM takes over the factory after a fire at the Livonia factory
The production of the Hydra-matic was a delicate, air-conditioned job. So GM had to build a surgically clean production facility in this factory. This factory within the factory was an air-conditioned room with a perfect temperature of 23 degrees. The room had an overpressure that prevented dust from entering when the doors opened. GM sent thousands of damaged machines and tools to roughly 160 companies for repair. After 68 days the Hydra-matic was back in production in a temporary factory. After 85 days GM had copied the Livonia factory to the Willow Run factory. After 125 days, Hydra-matic production was back in full swing with 4,000 units per day. GM's new Willow Run plant also served as a global development center for automatic transmissions. Transmissions were produced for 11 other manufacturers in addition to GM's own divisions. The most famous customer was Rolls-Royce.
GM Powertrain just kept going, going from 4 to 3 speed automatics and back again, going across the road from rear to front wheel drive, and back again. During the Vietnam War, rifles and automatic guns were even produced. The Department of Defense ordered GM to make the M16A1. What the government called an "urgent need," GM called a "cash program." More than 1000 machines were purchased, all of which found a place within the Hydra-matic factory. GM delivered the 100,000th M16A1 in September 1969, two months ahead of schedule. A year later, another 140,000 were delivered. After the second contract, a total of 469,217 M16A1s had been delivered to the Pentagon.
In 1977, more than 14,000 people worked on 5 production lines with 2 full services on three products. People were hired all the time. If you just came home from a job interview, when you got home you were already called for the second interview. At the end of the 1990s, more than 22,000 transmission parts were produced per day. Today it is different. In 2006 1,135 people were bought out, the summer before 830. The last round also included Tommy Blevins who has spent 55 years at the factory from the start in '53. In 2007 a new division started on site under the name 'Ypsilanti Transmission Operations' for the production of modern 6-speed automatics. The new production facility is bright and clean. We work in groups of 6 people with rotation. Automated self-propelled carts transport heavy parts and boxes through the factory and between stations. The noise level is low, you can just talk to each other. The factory also makes transmission parts for other factories.
As of 2008, GM's Powertrain Willow Run facility in Ypsilanti has built millions of transmissions and provided 10,000 jobs over the years. Today (2008) the plant still makes transmissions and parts used in a few dozen GM models, as well as military vehicles. Unfortunately, the future is uncertain, as is the financial future of GM itself and other American automakers.
That's partly because the four-speed transmission, which 76% of GM's Willow Run employees work on, will be phased out by 2010. Analysts say the part that makes the 6-speed transmissions should have a future. GM has invested more than $600 million since 2003 to refit 93,000 square feet. 419 people work there. Bernard Swiecki, senior project manager at the Center For Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, believes the future is in 6-speed transmissions as the price of a gallon of gasoline rises from $2 to $4, driving demand for more fuel-efficient cars. . Unfortunately, the fate of the part that produces the four-speed transmission has already passed.
GM is Ypsilanti's largest taxpayer and is one of the city's top 10 companies in terms of employment.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to start other production, despite the local union aggressively trying to win a new contract to produce anything, transmissions, engine parts or batteries, it doesn't matter. Dave Tatman, plant manager, said 'GM will be OK and so will Willow Run'.
On top of that, GM, Ford and Chrysler have asked the government to make large loans, up to $34 billion, in order to survive. If GM does not get this loan, it will irrevocably go bankrupt.
Due to the crisis in the car industry, GM had to make major cutbacks. On December 23, 2010, GM therefore closed the Willow Run factory and moved production to Mexico. The last transmission was built on December 15. The 300 employees accompanying the closure will be retired, fired or transferred. The social plan involved an amount of $60,000 per employee. The new owner is 'Motors Liquidations Corp. If they cannot sell the factory before the end of 2010, the site will be in the hands of a Trust that will manage the settlement of GM's bankruptcy. This eventually happens. The factory is slated to be demolished. Attempts to rent out parts have been unsuccessful. In 2013, negotiations are still underway with the adjacent Yankee Air Museum.
The grounds of the 'Arsenal of Democracy'
Land: 1.35 km2
Factory area: 464,000 m2
Products: 4 and 6-speed automatics
Factories: The GM Powertrain Willow Run (4-stage) and GM Powertrain Ypsilanti Transmission Operations (6-stage)
Employees: 1,765 (as of 2008). In the 1970s 14,000 people worked there, in 2005 more than 4,000. Downsizing, technological advancements, takeovers, layoffs and moving 800 people to Pontiac have depleted the population.
Use transmissions: Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado and Suburban, GMC Sierra and Yukon, Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS, STS, SRX and Escalade + Corvette among others. The Hamtramck factory, among others, purchased items from Willow Run.
In 1980, the building was designated a State Historic Site by Gov. William Milliken.
Myths
There is a bomber hidden under the factory > Unfortunately not true, a search was made but only small parts were found
A concentration camp survivor is said to have hidden money in lunch boxes > Unfortunately, nothing was ever found
All parts for the .50 caliber machine guns are said to be buried under the factory > 2 20mm guns from '67 have been found
Willow Run history
1939-1941:
1941-1942:
1942-1945:
Oct. 1, 1942:
1943:
Apr. 16, 1944:
Jun. 28, 1945:
May 12, 1946:
1946:
1947:
1947-1953:
1948:
1953:
Mar.31, 1966:
1977:
1981:
Oct. 9, 2004:
Dec. 24, 2010:
In 2004, a major fire destroyed the collection of the Yankee Air Museum
Willow Run Boys Camp
Willow Run bomber being built
Willow Run bomber factory is up and running
The first Willow Run B24 is finished
Willow Run Village open to residents
The goal of 1 B24 per hour is reached
The last B24 of a total of 8.685 pieces is being built
Ford Motor terminates government contract
Kaiser-Frazer buys the factory
University of Michigan buys airport and some buildings
Kaiser-Frazer runs the Willow Run factory
Willow Run Airpost open for public and commercial flights
General Motors leases and buys the factory
The last public flight departs from the airport
University of Michigan sells airport Wayne County
Yankee Air Force and Yankee Air Museum are established
Fire destroys the hangar of the Yankee Air Museum
GM closes factory
The Yankee Air Museum
The Yankee Air Force Inc. was founded in 1981 with the goal of preserving a piece of Michigan's aviation history, buying and restoring a USAAF hangar, and exhibiting a B-24 Liberator built at the Willow Run factory.
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In the evening of October 9, 2004, the hangar of the factory burned down completely. Volunteers rescued a B-17, B-25 and C-47. The Stinson was in another hangar. Unfortunately, many other aircraft, tools, prototypes, and the museum archive have been lost. Damage was estimated at $4 million. Within days there were already plans to rebuild. In 2008 the museum switched from foundation to an organization with a director and a board of 11 people. In the summer of 2010, an Education Center was opened in a 1938 school building, which had been relocated from another part of the Willow Run complex. During World War II it served as the officers' club of the USAAF branch on Willow Run. It was probably the same school building Henry Ford used for his Ford's Willow Run Farm project in 1939 and 1940 before the factory was built.
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The museum only reopened to the public in 2010. In July 2011, the museum joined the Smithsonian. If the whole plan succeeds, the Smithsonian Institute has indicated that it will help to secure the only Willow Run-produced B24 aircraft still in America. It is currently at the military base in Shreveport, LA. The other 3 remaining are in Canada and the UK. In April 2013, the museum announced a plan together with the RACER Trust (owner of the former GM factory) whereby the museum would take over a 16,300 m2 large part of the factory. The large hangar that was targeted has two large doors that are still functioning. The museum would merge all 4 buildings spread over the site in a historic part of the factory designed by Albert Kahn in 1941. The museum has to raise a lot of money for this. This project can be found at savethebomberplant.org. The deadline, which has been pushed back several times, eventually expired on May 1, 2014. In the meantime, $7 of the required $8 million had been raised. This was enough for the trust to proceed with their sale and demolition plans. The purchase agreement was to be signed in the summer of 2014. The $1 million addition was later needed to make the building suitable for functioning as an independent entity. RACER Trust states in its sales brochure for the site that it is looking for someone to operate the site without the buildings. As of 2013, no more bids were accepted on the buildings. There was therefore no future for the factory that has existed since 1941, it is now nothing more than empty terrain, with the Hangar for the museum preserved. The remaining 95% of the land would be transferred to Walbridge inc. for the development and testing of self-driving vehicles. The State is in talks with Detroit-based Walbridge and the University of Michigan, which just opened its $6.5 million Mcity connected and self-driving car testing ground in Ann Arbor. Merging Mcity with the Willow Run site would create the largest progressive automotive test site in the world. Mcity is for research and Willow Run for testing. Before the transfer, RACER would leave the site bare. A lot of work was already done on this in August 2014. The state governor, who played a key role in obtaining the remainder, said the museum is representative of the "can-do" spirit that has developed in the state through the growth of the aviation industry. According to Randy Hotton (Michigan University / Navy captain / Pilot Jet Airline Corp at Willow Run Airport / Member of the board at YAM), the new museum occupies only 3% of the old factory. He has written a book about the factory. He also has such a strong bond with the factory because his father worked there in 1941 and talked about it every time they were on the site together. In 2015, the required $8 million was raised and there is enough to finish the entire exterior. An additional $5 million is needed for the interior and exhibits. The renovation is in full swing. (Last update January 2018). For the rest of the site, a consortium of companies is raising part of the $4 billion government grant Obama proposed. In California, Contra Costa Transportation Authority also plans to develop a testing ground, GoMentum Station, for self-driving vehicles. However, Michigan indicates that they do have 4 seasons and the terrain of Willow Run also reflects this perfectly and is therefore more of a real world testing ground than the naval base in Concord. Anyway, a universal terrain for testing is also simply necessary, a GM car must also be able to communicate with a Mazda. The fact that it can snow there is a plus, if you can't test the technique in cold conditions, you have a problem. With a conversion budget of $80 million, they want Detroit to remain at the heart of the auto industry with the hot breath of Google, Apple and Tesla on their necks, it must be decided quickly. May the best win!
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The renovation is in full swing. The roof has been renewed, the hangar doors have been painted, all the walls that were added after the war have been removed and a new outer wall has been placed. Due to the demolition of the surrounding parts of the factory, there was a hole on one side.
The RACER Trust
The RACER Trust has a portfolio of 89 ex-GM buildings nationwide (as of 2011). A $770 million fund has been made available for environmentally sound remediation and maintenance of the sites. At 44 million square feet, the trust would have been the third largest real estate trust had it been listed on the stock exchange. It is arguably one of the largest real estate and marketing operations in recent history. The trust, officially called the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust, was established at the time of GM's bankruptcy when the automaker was given permission to place redundant properties in a trust.
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The trust should not just sell everything, but it has the task of finding an application for each plot that is in line with what people want and can use in that region. In Michigan, these include plots in Pontiac, Ypsilanti (Willow Run), Milford, Detroit and Livonia. The other things to look out for are the value of the transaction (yet...), the chance of employment for the environment, tax revenue, reputation of the buyer and the environmental impact of the new company.
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The trust is headed by Elliott Laws who was appointed by the US Bankruptcy Court. Together with broker Bruce Rasher and a team of 9 employees, they oversee the remediation of sites and draw up a marketing plan for each plot.
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For many buildings they cannot find a new owner. They are such large complexes that there are few or no interested parties. Companies like Tesla do need space, but you can't sell 10 lots to that. Dividing it into parts and demolishing the rest is also often expensive because the supply of gas, water and sewerage often takes place in one place and the diversion also costs a lot of money. Demolition companies are often interested because of all the 'waste'. Yet many buildings have been given a new purpose. Willow run is one of them.