This is where your zenith tv was built!
 

I finally decided to get some pics of the original zenith plant that is still here in chicago. All there, and all original! the original 6001 W Dickens ave zenith factory still stands today. Everything from the transoceanics to the color televisions were built here. For any of you that have the "transoceanic" book, all those zenith photos are of this plant.

Currently, the large factory is divided into business segments, so the entire building is still in use. Luckily, zenith is on the nice part (north side) of chicago so the building is in nice maintained condition.
In this first picture, you see the north west corner of the huge facility. Notice the Zenith water tower!

Did the water go in before the name went on? :p:

you are probably familiar with "6001 W. Dickents ave Chicago, ILL" on all the tv literature. Here is the front, main entry to the zenith plant. This particular address is not occupied at the moment. If you look through the window, there is a mid 50s zenith table radio mounted to the wall (you cant see it in the pic)!

factory view
 

Here is the north east corner of the dickens ave plant. picture taken at the intersection of N. Austin and Dickens.

around 1963, zenith expanded the plant and moved to 1900 N austin ave. This new address is just across the railroad tracks. Literally next to the dickens plant. The new plant consisted of a large office building and expanded factory space.

This is the "new" address of 1900 N. Austin ave. Here is the large office building that got the new address, as well as the entire plant.

The southwest end of the dickens plant

Now you can see in this pic, the old and the new. Both plants basically divided by the freight lines.

About ten years ago I interviewed at a Zenith R&D lab near Chicago. Tall building in a semi-rural area. They had in the lobby several antique Zenith radio and TV sets on display (not running though). Well, the idiots didn't hire me :dunno:

Saginaw
 

I recognize that Saginaw name in the second photo. If I'm not mistaken, that's the company that used to make the power steering pumps for Chrysler years ago. IMS, Saginaw pumps were in the big body Chrylsers, and Federal pumps were in the smaller ones. I think my Duster has the Federal pump.

Mr. Know it All sez: Saginaw was (is?) a division of GM that handles all things steering. Tilt steering wheels were one of their inventions, I think. Other companies bought Saginaw parts from GM, as well. Don't know if this company would be related?

I'm really grateful that someone has taken the time to snap these pictures & post them. I reall enjoy them.

Thanks
 

Thanks for posting these. I always wondered if the place was still intact. Is any part of Zenith still there?

In 1975 I joined Zenith and worked in the Dickens Ave plant for 1 year before moving to Plant 31 (the big white building in Glenview). At Dickens Ave., my desk was reached by a narrow aisle. The back of the aisle (behind me) was that brick wall facing the RR tracks. The room was down about six stairs from the rest of the building and was known as "the pit". This was the Color TV Advanced Development department. I and another guy next to me collaborated on the design on a one-chip chroma system. In the middle of winter, fog would roll off the brick wall and curl around our feet.

The Dickens plant was connected to the plant on the south side of the tracks by a tunnel. One day a week, the cafeteria in the new office building served "gourmet burgers", and we would all walk over through the tunnel for better food than was available in the Dickens Ave cafeteria. There also was a "roach coach" (lunch wagon) that came to Dickens Ave every day, and some people preferred that.

Plant 31 in Glenview is now owned by a property management company and is leased by Aon Insurance. The remaining Zenith Electronics is located in Lincolnshire, IL.

Springfield, Mo. plant
 

Do you have any photos of the Springfield plant? I used to travel to Spfld., and as I recall, I read the plant had 500,000 sq. ft. It was located on Kearney St. One thing I remember about driving back to St. Louis from Spfld. was that if you were behind a Zenith rig, you WERE guaranteed early arrival. Phil

Were was the Rauland (sp?) plant? Was that part of the main complex or somewhere else.....and if the latter, is it still standing?

Anthony