The Ford Motor Co. changed the way Americans worked and played. Red Spot Paint & Varnish Co. has been a major innovator in paints for plastics. They both turned 100 this year.

The availability of the automobile for the masses has been credited with spawning the suburban lifestyle and creating millions of related jobs, ranging from highway construction to parts manufacturing. Ford's innovations also contributed to important developments in agriculture, aviation and healthcare. The resulting wealth that was created, not to mention the effects on people's everyday lives, is probably incalculable.