The document summarizes several industrial facility tours that took place between June 2014 and December 2014. It provides pictures and brief descriptions of factories and facilities for Whirlpool, KEEN, Cypress Grove Chevre, Dixie Elixers, Grainger, Lawson Products, and SAFC. The tours covered manufacturing plants for appliances, footwear, cheese, edibles, distribution centers, a supply store, and pharmaceutical labs.

1. The Sioux Falls
area of South
Dakota has
become a top
destination for
manufacturers
because of its
strong business
climate. Pictured
here is part of a
massive wind tower
built by Marmen
Energy. These
towers stand 250
feet tall, are built in
in three segments
and assembled
on site.
June 2014

2. IMPO toured Whirlpool Corporation’s KitchenAid factory in Greenville, Ohio. Pictured here are some workers on the assembly line.
The facility is outfitted to paint products in more than 70 different colors, to keep up with the changing tides of customer demand.
July 2014

3. As KEEN
moves into
industrial
footwear, IMPO
toured their
Portland,
Oregon,
headquarters
to see what
they meant
by HybridLife:
the company’s
belief in
splitting time
between work,
play, and
giving back.
August 2014

4. July/August 2014
Pictured here, Food Manufacturing examines Cypress Grove Chevre’s
new cheese production facility. While their new digs are state-of-the-art,
this cheesemaker is hand sprinkling herbs – the old fashioned way – for
improved flavor and aesthetic value.

5. September 2014
With Colorado’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana use, Denver-based Dixie Elixers expanded into a new 30,000 square
foot edibles production facility to meet expected demand. They see their mission as a dual one: creating a quality product, but also
educating the public about the new industry.

6. Industrial distributor Grainger has
taken the LEED on energy efficiency.
Industrial Distribution toured their
one million square foot stocking
distribution center Minooka, Illinois.
Not only is this facility one of the
world’s largest platinum-rated LEED
certified Commercial Interiors, it is
optimized for continuous
improvement and workplace
ergonomics.
September/October 2014

7. Industrial Distribution took a look at Lawson Products’ McCook, Illinois, facility – storing thousands of SKUs across
305,000 square feet. The facility is designed to meet the needs of Lawson’s Value Proposition: a focus on consumable MRO,
high durability private label products, and a specialty in sophisticatedly predictive VMI.
November/December 2014

8. Pictured here is one of
the isolators at SAFC’s
Madison, Wisconsin,
kilo lab. From their
founding in 1989, SAFC
has been able to first
expand their Madison
facility to kilo scale, and
in 2014, finished their
Verona lab, right outside
Madison. These labs,
working in conjunction,
will accelerate SAFC’s
production of high-
potency Active
Pharmaceutical
Ingredients.
November/December 2014