WEST BLOCTON, Ala., May 22, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- U-Haul International today announced the release of 600 new 26-foot moving vans depicting the Alabama gentian pinkroot and the marvelous glades of Bibb County.
In 1992, a Georgia botanist named James Allison, under contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, organized a canoe trip in Bibb County, Alabama. Allison and friends discovered a glade community unlike any that had ever been discovered before. This "botanical lost world" in the Bibb County glades of central and northwestern Alabama harbors more than 61rare plants, eight of which were entirely "new to science." This week, U-Haul will officially unveil the Alabama SuperGraphic, as its "Venture Across America" Campaign visits the Cahaba Lily Center on Saturday, May 27, at 9 a.m.
"We are thrilled to partner with the Cahaba Lily Center to educate the public about this fascinating botanical wonder and the beautiful Cahaba River that surrounds it, and to encourage people to visit Alabama and see all this great state has to offer," stated Scott Fall, president, U-Haul Company of Alabama. "People in the communities and on the highways of America will have the privilege of seeing this larger-than-life image of the Alabama gentian pinkroot and the bountiful glades of Bibb County come to life for years to come."
The Alabama gentian pinkroot graphic was produced at Kar-Go Decal Company in Ivyland, Pa., and shipped to several of the 11 North American U-Haul fabrication and assembly plants for installation on the new 26-foot moving vans.
U-Haul has been decorating its moving trucks with vibrant images featuring distinctive features of every U.S. state and Canadian province since 1988 with the launch of the "America's Moving Adventure" and "Canada's Moving Adventure" SuperGraphics campaign. The newest graphics are part of the "Venture Across America" campaign that highlights little-known facts about North America. Nearly 200 different images have been created since the SuperGraphics Program began. They can be viewed online by visiting www.uhaul.com/supergraphics.