International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) is celebrating its centennial this month. The company has a long history of plant floor innovation and cutting-edge manufacturing.

The first fully automated assembly line was created more than 80 years ago.

During the past 100 years, Whirlpool has withstood labor unrest, mergers and acquisitions, product design changes, new technology, new materials, changing consumer tastes, globalization and restructurings. But, one thing has remained steady-its production prowess.

Whirlpool’s assembly lines have produced  a diverse array of products that aren't found in kitchens or laundry rooms, such as air rifles, toys, threshing machines, lawnmowers and automobiles.

This week marks the centennial of Chevrolet. More than 209 million cars and trucks sporting the famous bowtie logo have rolled down GM’s assembly lines during the past century.

Whenever most people think of Deere & Co., they envision one of the company’s iconic green tractors.

Several Fiat factories in Europe, including Pomigliano, Italy, and Tychy, Poland, were benchmarked by engineers from Chrysler’s Belvidere Assembly Plant before producing the new Dodge Dart.

When Chrysler’s Belvidere Assembly Plant (the home of the new Dodge Dart) opened in the middle of a northern Illinois cornfield in 1965, the automaker was in the midst of a decade of growth.

GM has always loved to put on a good show.