Arriving in Jackson Center for Alumapalooza, fond memories reappear from the past.
For me, visiting Airstream is a pilgrimage which reminds me of the many times I’ve been fortunate to visit not only the factory but the charming and wonderful Jackson Center village.
Today’s Airstream factory has been enlarged to meet the domestic and international markets that continue to grow.
Growing up, I visited Wally many times at his home in Los Angeles. I took for granted his garage: looking back, that garage is a shrine, his home a brain trust, for it is on those grounds that Wally designed and built the first Airstream Torpedo. Today, the home is gone, having been replaced by apartments some years ago.
Skillfully, he designed and drew up prints and instructions that others could use to build their own Torpedo. He sold his plans through magazines like Popular Mechanics.
From the outset, Wally had several factory locations. After the Second World War, they streamlined, with a single factory within walking distance of downtown Los Angeles, just down the street from the Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery.
Wally understood the industry and its demands. He knew that in order to grow the company, it would be necessary to have a plant in the Midwest that could support east coast sales. In 1952, he found an empty building in Jackson Center. It was perfect.
The financial success from the second plant allowed the company to move from LA to Norwalk, which was later annexed by Santa Fe Springs.
After the success of the first Caravan to Mexico and Central America, subsequent Caravans returned to Mexico and expanded to Canada, Europe, Africa, and one even went around the world from Singapore to Portugal.
Wally passed in 1962, but left behind a legacy that kept Airstream at the forefront of the recreational vehicle industry. A new factory was built in Jackson Center, across the street from the original production buildings, that could accommodate twice the production of the California plant.
Years later, the California factory closed and the entire operation was moved to Jackson Center. Today, Jackson Center is the mothership from which all Airstreams are born.
by Dale Schwamborn
Next week, Dale reflects on how the Airstream of today was built by many hardworking hands. We hope you'll join us again.
