The Kenworth truck assembly factory in Chillicothe hosted the Kenworth Truck Parade, which has become an annual event in downtown Chillicothe. The parade was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the plant. It featured a mixture of vintage Kenworths, as well as more modern and custom trucks.
The 2024 Parade, held over the weekend, featured 60 trucks, including a vintage Kenworth from 1923, as well as models built in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and even the modern day trucks produced at the Chillicothe Manufacturing Plant.
The last truck in the parade, a T680 sleeper, was wrapped in a design that honored the plant’s fiftieth anniversary. It featured historical images of Chillicothe and landmarks within the community. There were also photos of the manufacturing facility, past truck parades, and photos of the manufacturing factory.
Kenworth Chillicothe was officially opened on 4 March 1974. The first truck, a Kenworth W900, rolled off the assembly lines a day later.
To commemorate the milestone, the parade was led by a vintage 1923 Kenworth and a very special passenger: parade grand marshal and 50-year Kenworth Chillicothe employee Dan Murphy.
Murphy, a well-known and respected plant employee, was hired just days after the plant first opened in 1974. He began as a production specialist, was promoted to section supervisor, and served as liaison engineer until his retirement in May of this year.
The parade events culminated with a live performance from the Mantz Brothers, a Nashville, Tennessee band, on a trailer towed by the T680, set up as a concert stage.
Jack Schmitt is the assistant plant manager at Kenworth Chillicothe. “The Kenworth Truck Parade in Ross County has become a June tradition, and this year it was made even more meaningful by the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Chillicothe producing the World’s Best Trucks,” he said. “We are grateful for this incredible community, and the drivers that travel from far and wide to make this event so successful every year,” said Jack Schmitt, Kenworth Chillicothe assistant plant manager.
The Kenworth Chillicothe Plant held events in its facility prior to the truck parade for drivers and their family members participating in the parade and attending it. The plant has had a busy few years. It is a 622,000 square-foot facility that features advanced manufacturing technologies such as robotic assembly. The company said that a state-of-the art paint facility, which uses the latest technology available in the industry, went into production in Oct. 2021. It is equipped with bell-shaped spray heads to improve the appearance and transfer efficiency. The National Association of Manufacturers awarded the plant two Manufacturing Leadership Awards in 2022 for the new paint facility as well as the Henrob error proofing project.
The plant also hosted a day-long employee event on its property the day before the parade.
[ Related to: Pete’s Pride & Class Parade and Truck Show]
Kenworth Chillicothe, in partnership with the United Way of Ross County, organized a 50/50 Raffle, the proceeds of which went to the United Way of Ross County. Kenworth Chillicothe and United Way of Ross County employees sold raffle tickets during the parade. Sponsorships of VIP areas along the parade route have also been donated. In total, more than 37,540 dollars went to United Way of Ross County.
More views of the event:
