Aerial View of the New Departure Plant

In 1990, Thomas Root took this aerial view of Delco Moraine, New Departure Hyatt (Division of General Motors) located at the southwest corner of Perkins and Hayes Avenue in Perkins Township, Erie County. Dozens of automobiles dot the parking lot of the plant, while a semi and other cars travel southbound along Hayes Avenue. On the left side of the picture is Foster Chevrolet. Across the street from Delco Moraine, New Departure Hyatt, you can see Mr. Hero, Berardi’s Family Kitchen, the AFL CIO Union Hall, and other businesses. At the very right of the picture you can see a portion of Strobel Field, now Strobel Field at Cedar Point Stadium.

General Motors established the New Departure plant in Perkins Township in 1946. In 1965 New Departure was merged with another GM Division, Hyatt Bearings, to form the New Departure Hyatt Bearings Division and Sandusky was selected as the divisional headquarters site.  In 1989 New Departure Hyatt merged with another GM division, Delco Moraine, to become Delco Moraine NDH.  In 1991 Delco Moraine NDH merged with Delco Products to become Delco Chassis Division.  Delco Chassis Division became Delphi Chassis Systems in 1995.  Delphi Automotive Systems spun off from parent company GM in 1999, and then changed its name to Delphi Corporation in 2002. KBI (Kyklos Bearing International) now occupies the site of the former New Departure/Delco Moraine/Delphi facility.