New exhibit honors Mercury Marine

FOND DU LAC -
With 70 years of Mercury Marine history lining the walls at the Windhover Center for the Arts, the new exhibit is a celebration for many.  For Bob Plummer it's a walk down a well familiar road.

"It all brings back a ton of memories, I get choked up thinking about it," he said after viewing the exhibit.

Plummer shares much of company's history in Fond du Lac, including its humble early years.

"I went to work for Mercury in 1947 the whole plant was in a barn," Plummer said.

Since then, he watched the boat engine maker change and grow, even battle economic challenges that nearly drove operations to Oklahoma.

While the display, honoring many of Mercury's manufacturing achievements has been in the works since March, in the last few weeks the company came dangerously close to shifting 850 jobs to Stillwater.

"It's really heart warming to know this is the kind of celebration it is," Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel said. "I mean they've been very important to Fond du lac for a long, long time."

While union members who voted against Mercury's proposed contract changes say there are still some hard feelings towards the company, even they tell Fox 11 its history should be honored.

The exhibit showcases Mercury manufacturing from its beginning in 1939 to modern times.

"They were the first company to do eight different things, including the stern drives and the super-charged four stroke, all the way down to some of the things they did in the 40's," Jim Hubbard with the Fond du Lac Arts Council said.

As for the timing of the display, company leaders say it's significant.

"When a community can rally the way it has, when a company can rally the way it has, when employees can rally the way we have, that's a testimony to the future," Mercury Sales and Marketing President Kevin Grodzki said.

One, he hopes will continue for another 70 years in Fond du Lac.

The exhibit will be open to the public through the end of October.  It's at the Windhover Center for the Arts on Sheboygan Avenue in downtown Fond du Lac.