When Terry Hankins walked through the doors at the International Harvester manufacturing plant in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1959, he started a 40-year career that also led him to amassing an extensive IH farm toy and memorabilia collection. After Terry's death in March 2016, his family continues to treasure that collection. And some pieces from the collection are preserved in the Terry Hankins International Harvester Museum, which was dedicated to Terry's memory in the Irvington Historical Society's headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind. Terry was a second-generation employee at the manufacturing plant, which opened in 1938. His father, Omer, was among the first 300 employees hired at the plant, where IH engines and components were produced. Terry started on the assembly line, then served a stint in the U.S. Army, before returning to the plant, where he progressed through the product test department to plant engineering to working as the customer service coordinator the last 10 years of this employment. "He would work closely with the customers and pass on concerns, help connect the dots, solve problems, and find ways for product and quality improvements," describes Terry's son, Kent Hankins. To read the rest of this story, subscribe to TF at: http://www.toyfarmer.com/subscriberenew.html or buy the online version at: http://toyfarmer.epubs.forumprinting.com/publication/?m=26489&l=1 |
By Luann Dart |
Toy FarmerArchives
November 2024
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