The developing automotive industry received a major boost from the founding of Willys-Overland in 1908. Initially manufacturing small automobiles, the company converted in 1941 to the production of the most famous vehicle of World War II, the jeep. While Toledo has no major league sports teams, it supports a widely known minor league baseball team, the Mud Hens. Professional golf has long included Toledo as a part of its venue. A men's tournament is held annually at the Inverness Golf Course.
Manufacturing accounts for roughly one-fifth of all employment in Toledo metropolitan region.
Toledo's proximity to the center of vehicle manufacturing in Detroit, Michigan, accounts for the importance of the automotive industry. Toldedo supplies parts to automobile assembly plants, even though many assembly plants have moved away from Detroit in recent years. The Port of Toledo is one of the largest deepwater ports on the Great Lakes. Coal and iron ore, grain, and a wide range of general cargoes are the three primary categories of shipping. The Toledo Region is also one of the leading rail centers in the United States, with an integrated railroad system providing connections between industrial areas and their markets.