VOLVO IS CELEBRATING ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY IN NEW YORK CITY ON THE TWENTY-SEVENTH OF MARCH WITH A SPECIAL EVENT AT ABC/TIMES SQUARE STUDIOS THAT INCLUDES MUSICAL PERFORMANCES. VOLVO IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCERS OF AUTOMOBILES, TRUCKS, BUSES AND CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. THE COMPANY ALSO IS A LEADER IN THE FIELDS OF MARINE AND INDUSTRIAL POWER SYSTEMS AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE COMPONENTS; AND
VOLVO WAS FOUNDED IN 1927 AND CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN 74,000 EMPLOYEES IN 25 COUNTRIES. THIS LARGE AND VERSATILE COMPANY WAS FIRST INCORPORATED AS A SUBSIDIARY OF A SWEDISH BALL BEARING MANUFACTURER IN 1915. IN 1924 VOLVO FOUNDERS ASSAR GABRIELSSON AND GUSTAF LARSON DECIDED TO CONSTRUCT A SWEDISH AUTOMOBILE. PRODUCTION BEGAN IN 1927 IN GOTEBORG, SWEDEN AND 297 CARS WERE PRODUCED THAT FIRST YEAR. TRUCKS WERE PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING YEAR. BUS CHASSIS AND MARINE ENGINE PRODUCTION BEGAN IN 1934. WITH THE ACQUISITION OF SVENSKA FLYGMOTOR AB (NOW VOLVO AERO) IN 1941, PRODUCTION ON AIRPLANES AND, LATER, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT BECAME SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF VOLVO'S PRODUCTION LINE; AND
VOLVO HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AUTO MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD. THE SAFETY, VALUE AND ENGINEERING THAT ARE VOLVO TRADEMARKS HAVE KEPT MOTORISTS DRIVING CARS OF THIS SWEDISH-BASED COMPANY FOR 75 YEARS. TODAY, NEW YORK CITY HONORS VOLVO FOR MAKING DRIVING THE STREETS OF OUR CITY EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE,
NOW THEREFORE, I, MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN RECOGNITION OF THIS IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2002 IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK AS
"VOLVO 75TH ANNIVERSARY DAY"
