The History of OMC Plant 1 | OMC Waukegan 1926 - 2017
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- Опубліковано 31 січ 2017
- The complete history of OMC Plant #1, once the headquarters of the Johnson Motor Company, and the center of manufacturing and engineering for the great Outboard Marine Corporation. Dedicated to the employees of Plant 1 and their influence on OMC and the City of Waukegan, this video recounts the hidden story behind one of Waukegan's most significant industrial plants.
Special thanks to Joe Kunsch and [jonrevProjects] for providing video clips for use in this video.
All images, videos, and website depictions utilized in this project are property of their rightful owners. The purpose of this video is education on the history of the plant, no copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being collected from this project. Un-credited images were photographed by me between 2004-2016 or are now under my ownership.
Soundtrack
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Cylinder Five by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/cylinders/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
Virtues Inherited, Vices Passed On by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/reappear/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
Passing Time by Kevin MacLeod
Chance, Luck, Errors in Nature, Fate, Destruction As a Finale by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/reappear/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/uvp/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/ - Наука та технологія
I was caught up in years of memories by viewing this documentary. The images of the building from the late 40's to the early 70's left me thinking about how this corporation affected the life of my own family as my grandfather, my father, my uncle, my brother and I all found jobs there at varying times of the life of these walls. Thank you for these moments which were very meaningful to me.
1976 I attended the Johnson outboard school. Later went to work for an OMC company called Stratos.
It’s now 2023 I’m retired from the Marine industry with lots of good memories, which include my visit to Waukegan for outboard school.
I still enjoy fishing in my bass boat powered by my Johnson Faststrike 150, 1992 model.
Thanks for the good video u put together.
Kurt
One of the saddest stories ever told. I hope to God they keep the historic water tower.
I had my first job here in the late 80's good memories.
Have been a marine mechanic for 31 years now. I also have had training at the Waukegan training center a couple of times. The history that abounds in that area is astounding. OMC in its heyday was a major player in marine propulsion. But time takes its toll.
It makes me think of how many people spent their entire lives working there all the way to retirement. How many friendships were made and how many led to romance. Time is unforgiving and relentless.
I worked from 1999 to 2001 in the 1943 section that collapsed. I provided photo support, wrote technical bulletins and instruction sheets. I'm saddened to see how this company disintegrated from the mismanagement and government over regulation. Two happy years with great coworkers.
I'm rebuilding a Johnson gt 150 right now. I grew up on this boat. It has a lot of memories.
Well done! Very sad story, especially after the most recent ending of Evinrude. Thank you memorializing it this portion.
Thanks for this. My dad spent 30 years in this plant. I was down there last year to see the parking lot and door he used to come out of on the north side. Even that was gone, road and all.
Hi,
Just have to say Thanks so much for this video....My father moved up here in 1955 and worked here...I have a old picture of him in front of a boiler ( my guess) after viewing this video I think it may have been in the old coke bldg not sure. I remember as a child going there on occasion where mom would drop of dinner...dad worked 2nd shift..mom worked 1st shift at Warwick Electronics in Zion...I remember being at picnic's on the grounds at Johnson Motors., as well as going to Dunes Theater for a sponserd Christmas Show and small gift, net stocking of candy...funny it felt like such a big deal back then. Dad moved onto American Motors Plant 2 Kenosha Wi ...more money...mom worked 16 years at Warwick and it closed...so she ends up at Johnson Motors years after dad....I know she worked very hard on the factory lines, I remember well her talk of some of her supervisors and the hard work she had to do ( at 5'03" at 106 pounds ) she was not really cut out for it..but
she perserved. She had her arm almost ripped off by a drill press ..healed and back to work...no law suit...that is just the way they were...hard working, ask for no hand outs kinda people. Mom retired out of Johnson Motors. She passed in 2012, dad in 1993. They are gone and both places where they worked so hard are gone as well.
Thanks again for this video and tribute. Well done...and well done mom and dad....George R. Van Cleve and Aline Van Cleve...if anyone worked with either or them, please cotact me
at gena0911@yahoo.com
ANY ONE HAVE ANY PICTURES OF WORKER'S /PLANT WHILE IT WAS OPERATION?
Thanks for that post georgene, I worked at American Motors in Kenosha, and later I worked at OMC in Waukegan.
Lot of great memories.
My Dad bought brand new a 61 Johnson 75 for $700. It replaced the twin 30s that he had on his 55 Tropicraft. Boy he loved that motor. We used it every summer thru the 1990 season when he bought a new Johnson 88. We lost that motor when the garage looted after hurricane Katrina, sure wish I still had it around to restore.
I was a 3rd generation employee. My great uncle worked there from about 1936-1977, My uncle from 1968-1985. I was there from 1994-til it closed.
I was a test driver for the G2 motor. I drove the boat along side a camera boat
Nick, this was made REALLY well! I'm so proud to have been able to provide you with all the aerial footage. I am so glad that I learned all that I did watching this. As a documentary buff, and filmmaker myself, I can't speak enough on how much must have gone into this this. I began working at the water plant right next to this plant back in late 2015. I was there almost everyday for the destruction of the plant. I would look out the window and see people walking around checking out what was going on. Must have been all those guys that used to work there. Either way, I'm so glad to have learned A LOT about OMC Plant #1. Anytime you need footage, let me know. I can get you just about anything!
Thank you, Joe! I'm glad you were able to learn so much from this video. Other than providing a form of closure for myself and the employees, one of my main motivations for creating this video was to make sure the story behind those brick walls was not forgotten. It's easy to see a so-called "eyesore" like this plant come down and forget about the people that made the building run and the impacts it has had on the community over time. Thanks again for allowing me to use this footage. If I ever need additional footage in the future, I will certainly let you know.
Thank you for putting this video together. I have found it fascinating over the years. Still a huge OMC fan and sad the Evinrude name is mothballed and may never be returned.
Amazingly sad and yet beautifully done.
Thank you!
What a great video. Still have a 85hp 1980's seahorse on the back and still going. Perth Western Australia.
Seconding what Joe said; this is fantastic! Thank you for taking the time to research the place, as much as I got to see of it in its final days - there was still so much I didn't know about it. Great work man!
Thank you, Jon! Even with the times I had spent there while it was open, until I started this project I had barely scratched the surface of the story behind this place, and I'm sure there's much more that is still untold. Like Joe's videos, your footage was an enormous help to this project. Thanks again!
Beautiful tribute to a great brand, great company and a great building. I have many fabulous memories of running Johnson and Evinrude outboards here in Australia through the 80's and 90's and this brought many back for me. I still have the old product range brochures from the 80's featuring some images from within and around the plant in backdrop. A sad end. Thanks for going to the trouble to put this homage together.
I have three OMC Lawn-Boy mowers, OMC built very strong products
My Lawn-Boy is 28 years old, still going strong, and running like it's brand new. Such great build quality and engineering!
Thank you for documenting its' history. It put food on the table of many people. My late stepfather, Robert "Bob" Canuteson, retired from there as an inspector, and I worked there from Aug 68 to Feb 70; 201 Punch press, stock chaser and (power pack) assembly on the TR line.
My dad worked their for 33 years. I started in early 1971 and I worked -> Plant 3, parts packing, Park City warehouse, centerless grinder, external grinder, surface grinder, assembly line, drill press , just to name a few.
I live in waukegan and never knew this. WOW!!
nice video well explained
Thanks! Glad you found the video informative!
Who would of thought a American made rotary motor that lived a short time but was a great motor that was competitive in many boat races and snow mobile stuff
I worked there . The management in the 1980's did a fine job of killing that company. It looked a lot like sabotage from the CEO suite. What a tragedy.
In addition to the poor management, when combined with the crippling EPA emissions restrictions that lead to FICHT in the late 1990's and the first round of environmental cleanup from the Plant 2 PCB spills, the company stood no chance.
Management's brilliant idea of moving to Georgia and dumping all the high priced machinists in favor of untrained people who worked for around $5.00/hour really hurt. For a while dealers would only buy motors made in Waukegan. In the mean time moral really sank. I was an inspector of a polishing line. The caster were really being polished badly. When I couldn't get the line to improve their work, I had to take a casting to the boss to show what was happening. He told me straight out "why do you give a damn, we're all losing our jobs anyway.". I fixed the problem by rejecting the bad castings and blaming holes in the dies for the problem. The next day, after day shift when home, I removed the raw castings they had been working on and replaced them with the rejects from yesterday. They would get average earning for just touching up their previous day's work. They usually were done for the day about an hour after supper break. Everyone was happy.
I was booted in 1985 after almost 15 years of service. I went back to school, earned two degrees, and ended up making 4 times as much as I use to get from Johnson.
@@kcin556 Environmental regulation should never be allowed - let industries dump their waste wherever they want - as long as its not my backyard - right?
I would almost have to agree with you. Then the real death of the company was when penskes bunch got their hands on it. A very well written letter that guy had written to all the omc dealers quaranteeing it was in good hands with his bunch- Then greentree, then that was it -- very , very sad !
@@kcin556 agreed, ficht was introduced too soon like the cobra drive. Omc ate their lunch on warrantees between these two. Calhoun Ga. didnt help with shitty quality control !! Damn shame , a company since 1921 . !#
Been in every building there.
Lot of good memories.
The great of all time OMC rip
Shame on BRP
Restore the water tower!
WWII gave the Jspanese the best start: new capital, new factories built 40 years more modern and disciplined workers. Who won the war?
That's very sad. Ive also heard about the gm plant in Janesville Wisconsin is being demolished. My real dad had family that used to work there. My real dad he grew in Janesville. When I was there, there were just towers of the remains of the gm plant.
Good documentary.
Nice video 👍👍👍
I've got a 1978 Johnson 55 that I bought new......still runs like a top!!
Read some of the touching memories below. Heartbreaking indeed. Certainly part of the decline of our once great country. The presentation done here, must have taken so much effort, that it's beyond my comprehension. God Bless all the hard working people that were part of the real OMC. I owned three of their products, including the futuristic OMC-Deluxe boat, bought used in 1968, as well as two outboards bought new. Some of my fondest memories were owning these amazing products. When the boat got damaged from a storm, they sent me two different gel-coat kits, at no cost for materials or shipping!! Ditto for an owner's manual. I never dreamed a company like this could ever fail. Once again: HEARTBREAKING!
Wow! That was sad but really well made! I sounded what kind of fire alarm control panel they had?
Simplex Freak There was no fire alarm system in this building.
Would love you to do a film on the Johnsmanvillie waukegan plant
The Best money can buy
I knew every square inch of plants 1, 2, 3, corporation etc. and had access to die cast and the computer room.
I'm a British boating enthusiast. I'm 62 now and I grew up as a young teenager sending little paper clippings from boating magazines to engine manufacturers requesting they're catalogues. I still have them all from 1973 to the late 80's. This film makes me so sad. What conspired to kill the amazing 2 strokes that they made? seems like shocking management... seen a lot of that in my time.
I went to their service school there. We got to choose an engine we liked then tear it down to nothing, reassemble it them test run it
Could you give everyone her a update if there is anything that they are doing with the tower or the land thanks Kyle
I worked for omc for about 15 yes it is sad what happened to the company
Amazing how such a huge company. Can end up worth nothing..
I appreciate your research and the video. Glad to see it go--total eye sore. I hope they redevelop the plot of land and give the citizens of Waukegan the proper lake front they deserve.
My dad worked there and I worked there too for a long time My dad more than 30 years Torres janitorial
I hope the city turns it into a park that would be nice
They can't, the ground is toxic according to the EPA.
Did you save any fire alarms?
OMC testing and research center was in Naples Fl. Everything was OMC here . From lawnboy mowers to the outboards on commercial fishing skiffs bringing the food to your table .Mercury was not popular here because the reliability and corrosion resistance and ability to run the mud and silt flats of the everglades , Evinrude and Johnson dominated the salt water in those days . another piece of America gone .
This is sad I have 8 years of manufacturering. It's sad to see that citys history just demolished. I like Evinrude outboards I have own couple of them Johnson outboards as well. The people that put blood sweat and hard work at that plant for 30 years or more to see it just destroyed. I understand those people being mad over that the plant getting torn down.
Whatever happened to all of the OMC tech data & other IP? I am presently dealing with the restoration of an OMC 1974 model 990212R engine. The sources that I have found are fragmentary & sometimes contradictory. In short people who go past "modified 307CID small block Chev" seem to be mostly guessing. TIA for whatever info that might be around.
Bombardier/BRP inherited most all documentation related to technical service, parts, etc. for Johnson, Evinrude, and OMC "Stringer" Stern Drive. OMC "Cobra" Stern Drive was primarily inherited by Volvo Penta.
@@kcin556 Many thanks, looks like I need to think about taking to Bombardier/BRP. Any good routes there?
Unfortunately the Johnson water tower was demolished last year despite out efforts. They said it was too ugly. Shame on you Waukegan.
I worked there for 5 yrs. at 300 seahorse. Worst time of my life!
Let's pool money together and reopen it!
Yes, thats a great plan. The great memories of the test cells and classrooms there over the years. I remember the test cells and how frigid it was and ice on the test tank edges. I still run a 1983 - 235 Johnson on my Hydrostream. Great motors and great people inhabited that place. Restore the Tower !#!#
Reopen what? there is nothing there. Build a new company to compete with Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Tohatsu? With an oversaturated market, in a dying economy where high priced leisure products are and will continue to take the biggest hits. Good luck with that. Sad to say but Johnson outboards and Sears stores, pillars of strength in the 1970's are now dead. They have not quite shoveled the dirt on Sears yet but that is as good as done.
Next time you do one of these pay attention to your audio levels which are way WAY too low. Thanks
They should have gotten rid of the beach goers then the plant might still be standing.
Sucks they closed it, and it’s even more sad as evinrude is now a thing of the past, stopping motor manufacturing in 2019
Screw that damn place.. Screwed me over BAD... Pain every damn day.. The Union was crap and never once stood up for me when I got hurt.. I was running the biggest machine in Die Cast.. four fused and one synthetic disc.. The company lawyer, Union, doctor and judge all screwed me.. I wish nothing but bad luck on every one of them..
I got injured in plant 1 had to go to hospital for 8 stitches, they expected me back to work the next day.
Hello. We are here from the Government. We are only here to help. Now quietly cease and desist, otherwise things could get ugly fast.
so much pollution (PCBs and such) contaminate the grond in water near plant 1 and plant 2 - OMC left it to the city to clean
…..and the City of Waukegan prides itself as the ‘City of PROGRESS’……shame on you WAUKEGAN for lying to the public.
Honda Motors
Such bs. A historic building that wasn’t kept up by bombardier.