CEO Gordon Street stands near where molten metal is poured deep inside Wheland Foundry. Street died Thursday at 75.The death of former foundry king Gordon Street Jr., 75, on Thursday morning severed one of Chattanooga’s last links to its past as the Dynamo of Dixie.
Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, the Street legacy burned deep into the consciousness of many residents who won’t soon forget the night glow of foundry fires and molten steel that flowed like blood through the heart of the city. Tens of thousands of Chattanooga residents worked for the Street family over the years, and thousands more indirectly depended on his businesses for their prosperity.
“He was one of the greats, one of the giants,” said former Chattanooga Mayor Jon Kinsey. “Gordon will be remembered for being a leader not only in the business community, but in the overall civic leadership of our community as well.”
At its height, more than half of all cars on U.S. highways contained metal parts manufactured by Wheland Foundry, which was built into an automotive parts giant by Street’s father, who died in 1982. Wheland was once second in size only to General Motors’ own foundry operation. At Wheland’s high water mark, more than 2,000 metalworkers worked for North American Royalties, the parent company of Wheland, which also operated oil wells and poured millions of dollars into industrial and civic improvements for the Scenic City.
“He was an icon of the manufacturing world, for sure,” said Tim Spires, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association.