This year, Hitachi Global Air Power is marking a milestone – 60 years of building Sullair air compressors in Michigan City.
To celebrate, the company has gifted the City of Michigan City a mural installation on eight retaining walls along Michigan Boulevard. The mural is designed and painted by artist Felix Maldonado Jr., in collaboration with the Lubeznik Center for the Arts.
Hitachi Global Air Power and the Lubeznik Center for the Arts celebrated the new mural with a ribbon cutting Sept. 30. Hideki Fujimoto, Hitachi Global Air Power president and CEO, Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch and Maldonado offered remarks during the celebration.
“The mural is a beautiful way to honor the rich history of Michigan City and to commemorate Sullair's 60th anniversary,” Nelson Deuitch said in a press release. “I want to thank Hitachi for this great addition to our Michigan Boulevard corridor, and for making the celebration one that all our residents and visitors can enjoy for years to come.”
The mural is a tribute to Michigan City’s industrial history and the variety of peoples who helped build it. The north panel depicts the hands of the Native American population who cultivated crops and fished. The south panel portrays the labor of black workers who helped build the railroads and train cars. Other panels include Harriet Colfax, the pioneering lighthouse keeper for over four decades. Binoculars in the central panels connect past to future. One lens shows a seagull, representing Michigan City’s natural beauty and tourism. The other lens shows a microchip, for its growing technology and innovation sector.
Hitachi has been based in Michigan City since 1965. The mural reflects a shared commitment to growth, revitalization and civic pride. It celebrates decades of shared history and highlights the partnership between the company and the community.
“We are delighted to mark our 60th anniversary with this meaningful work of art – a gift to the community that has been more than just our home; it’s been our partner,” Fujimoto said. “This milestone is not only a tribute to our history, but a reflection of the deep bond we’ve built with this city and its people over the past six decades. Together, we’ve grown, innovated and built a reputation that reaches far beyond the borders of Indiana.”
