Euclid Road Machinery Company (1931-1954), Euclid Division of General Motors Corporation (1954-1968), Terex Division of General Motors Corporation (1968-1980), Terex I.B.H. (1981-1984), Terex Corporation (1984-1988)

1931

Euclid Road Machinery Company incorporated, operating out of Euclid, Ohio.

1954

Euclid Road Machinery Company purchased by General Motors.

1955

Property was purchased in Hudson, Ohio as the site for a new factory, former Mid-City Airport. Mid-City Airport, (midway between Akron and Cleveland) opened in 1929 on land that was formerly a wheat field. It was begun by Thomas G. Lanphier, World War I pilot, and Henry Breckenridge, advisor to Charles Lindbergh. The Great Depression hurt plans to develop the airport, which was sold to Rudy Van Devere in 1939. The airport was used to train hundreds of military pilots during World War II. By 1956, 4,000 pilots used the airport, and the airfield covered 976 acres. At that time, Akron-Canton Airport had 1,100 acres.

1950s

In the mid 1950's, Hudson Ohio was facing a future of inevitable change due to industrial growth. Some residents felt this growth needed to be monitored in order to prevent undesirable changes. One large change which some residents were concerned about was the purchase of the Mid-City Airport by General Motors, who planned to build a large factory on the site. In 1955 Frederick Waring came up with the idea to have a community-wide land use survey to meet urban planning needs. The Hudson Village Council and Hudson Township Trustees approved the idea, and decided to create a five person team, known as the Hudson Development Committee, to carry out the survey. Frederick Waring became the Hudson Development Committee's public relations assistant. Ultimately, the Hudson Development Committee decided to stay neutral on the issue of whether or not General Motors should be allowed to build their factory, and construction of the Euclid plant went ahead as scheduled.

1957

Construction began on the Hudson Plant

1959

Hudson Manufacturing Plant completed and Factory Training School opened

1968

Federal antitrust suit (filed in 1959) settled, requiring sale of plants and certain assets acquired from the Euclid Road Machinery Company. The Euclid name, manufacture and sale of rear dumps, bottom dumps, and four wheel Prime Movers was relinquished in the U.S.A for a period of four years. Manufacture of Haulers continued in all plants outside the U.S.A.

1968, July

Division name changed to Earthmoving Equipment Division

1968, October

Product-identification brand name changed to "Terex"

1973

100,000 square foot expansion of the Hudson Plant begins.

1974

The "Terex Titan", the world's largest truck, is completed. Only one prototype is ever built. It is currently on display in Sparwood, British Columbia.

1979

Beginning of an economic recession which hurts the sales of construction equipment leads G.M. to lay off hundreds of workers.

1981

General Motors sale of Terex to I.B.H. goes into effect- January 1st

1983-1984

Terex IBH bankruptcy and sale of Terex Corporation- By this time, the Hudson factory, which in the late 1970's had employed over 1,100 people, was only operating with approximately 150 individuals.

1988

Terex Corporation announces the moving of its distribution warehouse to South Haven, Mississippi, and the immediate closing of its Hudson Plant.

1989

Walt Robbins, Inc. purchases the Hudson Plant from General Motors for $11 million, in order to renovate the property. Fabri-Centers of America Inc., another business which began in Cleveland, purchases property and moves its corporate headquarters and warehouse facilities to the Hudson plant.

1998

Fabri-Centers of America Inc. is renamed Jo-Ann Stores Inc. As of 2009, Jo-Ann Fabrics continues to own and operate this facility. Jo-Ann Fabrics is currently the largest fabric retailer in the United States.