Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

54 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 industrial plants—two of them being Allison’s Prest-O-Lite factory and the Allison Engine Co. The goal was to create a community completely dependent on and culturally marked by the American automobile, reflecting its founders’ commitment to transportation and progress. Much as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was conceived as a testing ground for automotive innovation and technology, Speedway was to provide the blueprint for a new way of thriving in urban centers. Beautiful ‘Speedway City’ planned to be legally distinct from Indianapolis, installing its own government and legal system to fulfill its purpose-built design. The town Council was to represent an intersection of hot-rodders and speed- part manufacturers, and the rule prohibiting the admittance of horses into Speedway was to be strictly interpreted and enforced. Nearly one hundred years later and the town of Speedway is still very much a forward- thinking one. Home to 14,000 residents who boast their own municipal government, emergency services, and school system, it’s a community that cherishes its distinctive focus on its ‘motor parkway’ past and key economic development partnerships in the present, for a future that sustains and builds on those incredible early achievements. “We’re talking about a town that literally grew up around the speedway,” says Town Manager Grant Kleinhenz. “Those founding partners, Allison and Fisher were trying to create a venue for racing—I assume to show off their wares— they also created a city that’s now symbolic © 2022 Allison Transmission Inc. All Rights Reserved. allisontransmission.com Allison is committed to economic development and sustainability. “The Innovation Center, along with the recently expanded Vehicle Electri cation + Environmental Test Center also located on our Indianapolis campus, will be centers of excellence for the development of enhanced conventional and fully electric vehicle technology to meet the constantly evolving needs of the end markets Allison serves. These facilities showcase our commitment to maintaining a leading role in powering the advancements of sustainability and environmental initiatives in the commercial vehicle industry.” — Dave Graziosi, President and CEO, Allison Transmission Improving The Way The World Works