Twin Disc unveils Heritage Gallery in honor of 100th anniversary

In honor of the company’s 100th anniversary, Twin Disc, Racine, Wis., unveiled the Heritage Gallery on Aug. 2, which showcases its products, from the first marine transmission prototype to the E-type flywheel clutch and power-shift transmission, along with progressing generations of machine parts throughout its history.

The gallery, which takes up roughly 4,000 sq. ft. of the first floor of its corporate headquarters, also displays memorabilia, including the first meeting minutes between the company's founders, original stock certificates, and a Wallis tractor equipped with a Twin Disc farm factory clutch, the original product that helped launch the company in 1918.

One section of the gallery is dedicated to World War II, when the company was asked to design a marine transmission for the Higgins Landing Craft that would be used throughout the South Pacific and in the D-Day invasion.

"The transmission only had to last 50 hours and reverse was not needed, because we were told they would only be going one way," said John Batten, president/CEO of Twin Disc, during his dedication speech to the roughly 100 guests in attendance. "Twin Disc's engineers, some of whom were veterans of World War I, would not accept a vessel that would deliver our troops into battle and not bring them home safely. Nor would they accept 50 hours of service life."

More than 40,000 landing crafts served U.S. troops during the war, and most did not come back. They were either destroyed in conflict or left in theatre, eventually to become fishing boats, work boats, and water taxis. Because those vessels were in use and needed to be serviced, the company gained customers around the world.

The Heritage Gallery will be open to the public by appointment only in the fall; it also will feature a flex space for special exhibits, educational programs, and receptions.