Tour Complete
Check out our recap of the tour, full of fast facts!
Pritchard's Historic Innovation Relay
Traveling the Lincoln Highway to Celebrate 110 Years
On October 31, 1913, The Lincoln Highway was dedicated as the first coast-to-coast roadway for automobiles. Beginning in Times Square and ending in San Francisco, the highway includes an estimated 365 miles of roadway through Iowa from Clinton to Council Bluffs.
1913 was also the year of the founding of Pritchard Companies, when Walter Pritchard opened Garner Auto Sales in Garner, Iowa. Today, that company has a national footprint with more than 350 employees and seven divisions. Pritchard Companies is run by the same founding family to this day: CEO Joe Pritchard (4th generation), COO Angela Pritchard, CRO Ryan Pritchard, and Dir. of Retail Operations Ellen Pritchard (5th generation).
Now, 110 years later, both Pritchard Companies and The Lincoln Highway Association are national leaders in transportation innovation. The Lincoln Highway can be traversed using electric vehicles, thanks to a network of charging stations along the nationwide route. Meanwhile, Pritchard's is a national leader in EV technology ranging from eBikes to heavy duty work trucks.
Join us as we travel 365 miles across Iowa celebrating family, history, and innovation!
The Historic Innovation Relay kicked off at sunrise this morning in Clinton with a cold but beautiful view of the Mississippi River - and the easternmost point along the Lincoln Highway in Iowa. We were thrilled to be joined by Tammy Johnson, Community Development Director with the City of Clinton.
Follow them here:
Choose Clinton Iowa | Facebook
We had a successful handoff of the baton in Cedar Rapids, as Joe Pritchard took over in a Ford F-150 Lightning for the leg to Ames!Thanks to Iowa's News Nowfor joining us at our Cedar Rapids handoff!
Watch the coverage HERE
In Ames the Pritchard family handed the baton to the extended family: the employees who make the business what it is! Leg three will be done in a Chevy Bolt EUV as we continue into beautiful western Iowa.
During leg three, we visited the Lincoln statue in Jefferson. It's the first to be built along the highway that bears its name.
RIDE COMPLETE: During leg four, Brock handed the baton to Matt in Carroll, who drove the final leg in a Pacifica hybrid to show the benefits of flexibility in areas where the infrastructure is still being built. This leg led us off into the sunset, and to the finish line at the Missouri River crossing!
Please stay tuned for updates as we compile the photos and video we gathered into a single story about this statewide adventure celebrating history, innovation, and family!
