SEDCOR - Industrial Site Tours

Three times each year, SEDCOR holds an Industrial Site Tour, visiting manufacturing facilities throughout Marion and Polk Counties. These tours provide a unique educational opportunity for SEDCOR members, who learn more about local industry and its impact on the economy. With the generous support of SEDCOR member sponsors, these tours are free of charge. Watch for periodical announcements that accompany the Xpress Enewsletter mailing.

SEDCOR Industrial Site Tour
Thursday, April 29th

Sponsored by:

Oregon Ballistic Laboratories [www.oregonbl.com]

During the tour of Oregon Ballistic Laboratories (OBL), you will observe active, indoor firing ranges of 5 and 15 meters. A static display with all of the weapons, barrels and munitions typically used in ballistics testing will be on the shop floor. OBL is one of five labs certified by the U.S. government to do body armor testing, and the only certified lab in the Western U.S.

An environmental conditioning chamber is part of the lab, where five years of wear and tear on a ballistic vest can be simulated in 10 days.

You will also see a robotic application of High Impact Technologies' (HIT) trademaked BattleJacket fuel tank self-sealing system. Visitors will then walk through the pilot plant for producing Marshall Composite Technologies' patented C-BAR composite rebar. Next up is a tour of HIT's Pop Up Production Plant (PUPP). The PUPP is a fully self-contained, mobile production factory. Across from the PUPP are two new state-of-the-art 15-meter ranges nearing completion. The new ranges will be used to test body armor (hard and soft) and helmets for the US Army. The final stop will be OBL's Forced Entry and Ballistic Resistance lab, where the US State Department oversees testing for windows and doors to be used in overseas embassies and consulates.

Yamasa Corporation USA [www.yamasausa.com]

Soy sauce originated in China over 2,500 years ago and was introduced to Japan in the 13th century by Buddhist monks. In 1645, Yamasa company founder Gihei Hamaguhci began brewing soy sauce in Choshi, Japan, under the Yamasa name. Yamasa Corporation began exports of soy sauce to the U.S. over 130 years ago. Demand for the product has steadily grown and in 1992, Yamasa incorporated their USA division in Salem, Oregon. Establishing the production and distribution facility in the U.S. marked a memorable page in Yamasa’s history.

We will visit the 65,000 square-foot plant on Fairview Industrial Drive, which is situated on a 25-acre site and is capable of supplying over 1.7 million gallons of soy sauce per year.

In Yamasa’s state-of-the art plant in Salem, raw material handling is automated, but the brewing process remains the same as it was 350 years ago. The product is made during a six-month fermentation process that utilizes the finest soybeans, wheat, and sea salt. We will get to view the manufacturing process from start to finish.

Oregon Cherry Growers, Inc. is one of the largest fruit infusion operations in the United States and a leading exporter of processed sweet cherries. A grower-owned cooperative, the company consistently delivers just harvested freshness because cherries are controlled from the field to your fork. Oregon Cherry Growers have four state-of-the-industry manufacturing facilities that are located in Salem, The Dalles and Wapato, WA. Nationally recognized, Oregon Cherry Growers caters to businesses in food service, food manufacturing and retail industries.

Our food processing operations transform raw cherries into tasty, appealing and safe food products. Combining food preparation and preservation methods, seasonal crops can be available year-round in grocery stores, restaurants and institutional kitchens. The tour of Oregon Cherry’s maraschino plant will introduce SEDCOR members to four aspects of food preparation:

Keep in mind you will be touring a commercial food manufacturing setting in peak operation. Basic food service requirements dictate that visitors wear closed toe shoes, long sleeves and long pants. To avoid possible food contamination, no loose jewelry (including watches, bracelets, necklaces and earrings) can be worn in production areas. Everyone on the tour will be required to cover exposed hair with hair nets and/or beard nets. www.orcherry.com

As our buses arrive at the Truitt Bros. plant in Salem, you will see truckloads of pears being delivered. We will observe the production line from start to the finished product.

Truitt Bros. provides canned and customized shelf-stable foods to a variety of customers. Their products includes soup and meal components and entrees from their specialty products facility in West Salem and their canned products include green beans, pears, cherries and plums. These Pacific Northwest products are recognized by consumers across the nation as the best available.

Truitt Bros. prides itself in supplying the best quality pears in North America. They have the highest number of sorters and online QA inspectors in the industry. Their product grades are assigned hourly (on a pallet by pallet basis) rather than by shift - so they minimize wide variation in quality. The real secret to their high quality pears is the growing region - the Pacific Northwest.

The Pacific Northwest’s climate offers ideal growing conditions for pears. The Truitt Bros.’ Northwest product has better color (bright and clean rather than yellow faded cast), character (not grainy ... gritty) and shape (tall and shapely) than pears grown in other regions. Truitt Bros.’ Northwest pears are firm, so they hold up well on salad bar lines or in buffet applications.

Through their commitment to concerns such as water and energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction, and the provision of safe working conditions — Truitt Bros. was the first food processor to be certified by the Food Alliance in the nation. www.truittbros.com

Tour of Chemeketa Northwest Viticulture Center and Rogue Hop Farm
with a BBQ Lunch hosted by NW Natural.

The Northwest Viticulture Center (NWVC), is the physical home of Chemeketa’s Vineyard Management/Winemaking (VMW) Program. It is a leading wine industry resource that
provides degree programs (Vineyard Management, Winemaking and Wine Marketing) and continuing education in all aspects of viticulture and enology from growing the grape to selling the wine. The center emphasizes strong alliances with the northwest wine grape industry, associated educational institutions and the community. It began as a request from the Oregon wine grape industry for more trained workforce, so is truly an economic development and workforce training project.

The VMW program, which just celebrated its tenth anniversary, is currently the largest supplier of trained workforce to that industry. Since its inception, there have been about 5,300 student
enrollments in the program, which equates to 2,650 individual students. There have also been 82 graduates and substantial completers. About 80 students are currently pursuing one of the
three degrees or certificate. Students are prepared for success at the workplace with
practical, hands-on training that is facilitated by an eight acre teaching vineyard and 1,400 square foot teaching winery at the NWVC. On-the-job work experience is provided through
Chemeketa’s Cooperative Work Experience Program at commercial vineyards and wineries. A unique feature of the program is the workshops that are taught in Spanish for Latino vineyard workers. The teaching winery is licensed and bonded with its own label and wine available for sale. Visit www.chemeketa.edu.

The Rogue Hop Farm is on the Willamette River, south of Independence on the former John Haas Alluvial Hop Farm. Eight varieties of hops have been planted on 42 acres, which will be processed and baled on the farm.

The farm includes 44,598 sq. ft. of processing sheds, two osprey nests, river-side picnic area, and a chance to watch hops grow on the vine. In 2009, Rogue will create ales using Oregon hops and malt from their farms, yeast from Wyeast in Hood River, and Oregon Free Range Coastal Water, served in Oregon bottles. Hops are the female flower cones, also known as strobiles, of the hop plant. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine.

Hops are used extensively in brewing today for their benefits, including balancing the sweetness of the malt with bitterness, contributing a variety of desirable flavors and aromas, and having an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer’s yeast over less desirable microorganisms.
During our visit we toured the hop field and learned details about growing this Oregon crop. The tour also included the harvesting area including the cooler, baler, pickers and kiln to learn about the harvest process. The high alpha hops which we will see is what makes Oregon hops different from any other in the world. The group also had the opportunity to sample several
handcrafted Rogue Ales. Visit www.rogue.com.

Thursday - April 23, 2009

Our first site tour of 2009 visited the Woodburn area. We toured Supreme Northwest, a leading manufacturer of specialized commercial vehicles, and Wood Shoe Tulip Farm during their Tulip Festival.

Supreme Industries, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of specialized commercial vehicles, including truck bodies, shuttle buses, armored vehicles, homeland response vehicles
and luxury motorcoaches. The Woodburn plant has recently expanded their production to include StarTrans shuttle buses.

The buses range from 20 to 28 feet in length and can seat from five to 25 passengers. Wheelchair lifts can also be added. The Company indicated that future volume will range from 200 to 400 buses per year, depending on market demand. Currently in production at this facility
are Supreme’s curved-fiberglass shuttle buses, including the Senator and Candidate models. Most are built on Ford and General Motors chassis. They are used by hotels, rental car agencies, churches, retirement communities, state government and state agencies, universities and touring companies. Future plans call for adding Supreme’s new StarLiner shuttle bus, a higher-end product line.

Production at this site enables not only enhanced service to Supreme’s U.S. bus customers, particularly west of the Rockies and western Canada, but also introduces significant freight-cost
savings. The Company is sourcing a number of parts from local and regional suppliers—one of which is Miles Fiberglass & Composites, with plants in Oregon City and Portland, instead of shipping them from outside of the region. Visit www.supremeind.com.

The Iverson family began growing tulips in 1974. The first tulips belonged to Dr. Holman who would ship part of the bulbs to Indiana every year for forcing. When he retired in the late 1970’s, the Iversons bought a few acres of bulbs. By the early 1980’s Wooden Shoe had over 15 acres and needed to broaden their market base.

Today there are over 80 Acres of Tulips and Daffodils. The fields are open for an entire month and Wooden Shoe has greatly expanded their operation to include cut flowers, potted tulips, a gift shop, other plants, and all sorts of food and activities on weekends.

The cool weather has slowed the tulips down. Some color is anticipated by the end of March, but the best bloom should be around the middle of April, just in time for our site tour. We will see tulip production process including: Topping and rouging the tulips, Harvesting cut tulips, Packaging and Shipping. Wooden Shoe carefully packages bunches of fresh hand picked
flowers daily. Visit www.woodenshoe.com.

This tour took us to the Aurora Airport to visit Columbia Helicopters and
Metal Innovations, Inc.

Columbia Helicopters is the world leader in heavy-lift helicopter operations, and has been an Oregon-based company since it started 51 years ago. The company owns and operates the largest private fleet of commercial heavy-lift helicopters in the world, and owns the Type Certificates for the Columbia Model 234 Chinook and Columbia 107-II. These commercial aircraft are tandem-rotor, military-style aircraft that Columbia has adapted for heavy-lift operations. Columbia Helicopters operates these aircraft in a variety of environments and industries around the world, including timber harvesting and forestry management, oil exploration and support, fire fighting and construction.

To keep the company’s fleet of aircraft working in the field, Columbia’s Aurora headquarters is also home to its extensive maintenance facility. Here, the aircraft receive extensive structural and systems repair and refurbishment. The company’s overhaul and repair shops contribute to supporting the aircraft in repair, as well as the operational fleet with parts and components. With shops specializing in turbine engines, hydraulics, electrical and avionics, rotor blades, rotor heads, drive train, finishes and others, the company is nearly self-sufficient with its maintenance.

In addition to supporting its own fleet, Columbia Helicopters maintenance services also support a growing external customer base. Some of these customers are the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, U.S. Army Ft. Rucker Flight Training Center, U.S. Navy, various foreign militaries, as well as extensive commercial customers.

Metal Innovations Inc., is a recognized industry leader in major and minor repairs, alterations and modifications to sheet metal and composite material within the fixed and rotor wing marketplace.

Metal Innovations, located in the Aurora State Airport, was founded in 1996, by owners Kim and Craig Wilmes. The company began in a very small shop with no employees and quickly grew by capturing work on F-28 Over Wing Emergency Exits, receiving a contract to handle all aspects of modification on the Exits. They now boast capabilities in all areas of repair and manufacture, in their expansive facility which covers almost 30,000 square feet. Their capabilities now include all areas of repair and manufacture.

Metal Innovations FAA certified repair station specializes in heavy composite and sheet metal structural repair, as well as small quantity, complex, fixed and rotor-wing sheet metal and composite parts and subassembly manufacturing. They have also recently become a Cessna Service Center and acquired a jet fueling operation located at the Aurora State Airport. Other major clients include Erickson Air-Crane, Horizon Air, FedEx, HTSI, Carson Helicopters, Columbia Helicopters, Aero Air, Flightcraft, Global Aviation, Premier Jets and Pacific Wings.

We visited Silverton on this tour, with visits to Givaudan and TurfCare Supply Corporation. There was also a BBQ lunch at Oregon Garden along with a tour of the new Oregon Garden Resort.

Givaudan, established in 1977, is owned by Givaudan S.A. (responsible for sales) and Myron Root & Company, Inc. (administration and operations management) They are designated as the sole worldwide manufacturing site for fruit and vegetable based products within Givaudan,. who is the world’s largest supplier of flavors, food ingredients and fragrances.

Myron Root & Company, Inc. was established in 1933, to pack and ship fresh fruit. In 1978, the company began providing corn based products to Japan and has continued through the years. They sell products to more that twenty countries spread through Asia, North America and Europe, with no single customer accounting for more than 20% of the total business. Their products are finding uses in baked goods, baking mixes, soups, meals, sauces and seasonings.

In 1994, they relocated to Silverton, in order to be closer to their source of raw material supplies and transportation facilities. Their new manufacturing and office facility was completed in spring 1995, designed from the ground up for the production of it’s fruit and vegetable based products. Their strategy is to create and produce a collection of flavors and ingredients by using culinary techniques and reaction processes. Flavor profiles include fried, sautéed, and sweated.

Givaudan employs ~40 full-time and eight seasonal employees. Operations are 24 hours, 5 days per week for 9 months. From August through October local growers provide sweet corn to the plant, which runs 24 hours, 7 days per week producing corn products.

TurfCare is one of the nation’s largest suppliers of turf grass seed blending and packaging, processing over 70 million pounds annually. TurfCare’s grass seed unit is based in Silverton. Over 60% of the world’s supply of grass seed is grown in the Willamette Valley. TurfCare produces top quality seed for use on golf courses, parks, sports facilities, sod farms, and home lawns throughout the United States.

Turf Care’s operation in Silverton, is primarily a packaging facility, on annum packaging 60-70 million pounds of proprietary grass seed. TCS also facilitates all container loading and documentation for domestic and overseas destinations. TCS is the primary supplier of grass seed to the 600 plus nationwide John Deere Landscapes stores.

They have operated out of their existing facility since 1994. They have 14 full-time employees with an average of 7.5 years experience. Though grass seed is the primary product packaged at TCS, their 62,000 sq. ft. facility maintains the ability to package, palletize, stretch-wrap, and store a large array of products.

Slated for completion in September, the Oregon Garden Resort, sits amid a hilltop meadow near the Oregon Garden’s Rediscovery Forest. Join us on a tour of the new resort which is an integral part of the Garden’s spirit of renewal. The hotel will boast a main lodge, with meeting space for corporate functions, family reunions, wedding receptions and conferences. The restaurant also located in the main lodge will feature sweeping views of The Oregon Garden and the Willamette Valley. The guest rooms will be nestled in a series of buildings throughout the grounds. Each building will house six rooms, featuring fireplaces and private landscaped patios. As with all of their destination properties, gardens will feature prominently, with spectacular gardens surrounding the immediate property and will flow into The Oregon Garden.

Aggregate Machinery is a large manufacturer of portable and stationary plants offering design, engineering and fabrication. The Thunderbird II equipment line is built by Aggregate Machinery, Inc. They specialize in design and application – the right product and the right flow plan to accomplish a particular job. They offer customized portable and stationary plants to fit their customer’s needs.

Aggregate manufactures a complete line of aggregate crushing and screening plants (portable and stationary), process screens, separators, washing equipment, conveying systems, feeders, stackers and load-out systems. Customers include state departments, counties, cities and leading commercial companies around the world. Their philosophy is simple: Design and manufacture products that represent the best business investments for their customers.

Aggregate Machinery employs approximately 35-50 employees. Their high-bay shop has 2,800 sq. ft. and is equipped with (4) 10-ton cranes, a high definition plasma cutting machine and a 300-ton brake.
In 2007, the company delivered what is believed to be the largest portable recycling plant in America. In 2008, the company built and is now field erecting a 5000TPH Gold Ore crushing circuit to a customer in Northern Nevada.

Garten Services, Inc., based in Salem, has been proud to serve people with disabilities in the Central Willamette Valley since 1970. Garten provides vocational, career, retirement and day activity services for over 500 people with developmental disabilities and long-term mental illness. In addition to placing people with disabilities in community employment settings, they also provide employment opportunities in their own internal business enterprises: commercial laundry, “green clean” custodial and landscaping, mail services, packaging and fulfillment, and recycling.

The site tour will highlight Garten Recycling Services – their oldest business enterprise – which began in 1974. They closely balance advancements in mechanization with fulfillment of their mission: to provide jobs for people with disabilities. In recent months, Garten Recycling Division has launched the largest Electronics Recycling Program in the Central Willamette Valley. With refurbishing/resale /reuse as a priority, their E-Recycling team also safely and successfully dismantles and recycles 99% of all component parts from electronics, thus eliminating them from the solid waste stream.

In early 2006, the directors and management of Garten Services realized that recycling, though a vital and thriving business and a broadly accepted practice, was actually one aspect of a much broader set of business principles known as “sustainability.” Garten’s dedication to sustainability offers a balanced approach to both business and programs that synchronizes economic, ecological and social forces – ensuring that they are able to meet their needs today
without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their needs as well.

Cabinet Door Service, founded in 1989 is a regional wholesale manufacturer of cabinet doors and cabinet components for the custom cabinet industry. The product line includes cabinet doors made of solid hardwood, dovetail drawer boxes, pre-finishing services, thermo-foil wrapped doors, as well as a complete line of trim and architectural millwork. The company employs approximately 160 people. Cabinet Door Service has embraced LEAN manufacturing. The results of which are reflected in 20% year over year sales growth with largely the same level of employment and equipment. The cornerstones that make LEAN possible are a passionate focus on product quality, on-time delivery, and shortened manufacturing lead times.

Recently, the company relocated to 68,000 SF, consolidating all manufacturing from three buildings to one. The conversion of the prior warehouse space to industrial-use along with the creation of 4,000 SF of office space was a $2 million undertaking, completed in less than a year. The new plant layout and re-designed work departments have provided a 40% increase in production capacity. The unique nature of each customer order provides additional challenges, met by a commitment to cross-training personnel as well as equipping them with machines designed for rapid changeover.

The Pacific Northwest is known for it’s highly discriminating tastes and exacting standards when it comes to consistency in color and grain. This despite Mother Nature taking great efforts to make every piece of wood unique. In this competitive environment, Cabinet Door Service has been an industry leader in producing the highest quality and appearance of hardwood doors since its inception. 503-480-7611 or visit www.cabdoor.com.

Started in 1982, Salem based Western Tool Supply is now in its 26th year of business. What started as a low key operation run out of a garage has now expanded to include 75 stores in the United States and Canada (where they operate under the name House of Tools), with over 500 employees, three distribution centers, and a new brand of power tools. Just over one year ago, Western Tool opened a new Home Office and Distribution Center in Salem.

The new building (including 12,000 SF of office space) allowed all corporate staff in Salem to be working under the same roof, and also allowed for much needed expansion to the west coast distribution center. The 50,000 SF state-of-the-art distribution center is run completely paperless and supplies goods to more than 35 of the retail locations.

With the new building, Western Tool has been able to focus its efforts on efficiency and also a new line of tools, Pioneer Supply International. Pioneer Supply aims to expand its sales beyond just Western Tool and House of Tools, and to become a globally recognized supplier of quality tools and accessories.

Western Tool has long prided itself on outstanding customer service and supplying local contractors and home owners with the tools that they need to get the job done. Call 503-371-1411 or visit www.westerntool.com.

SEDCOR's summer site tour visited IMEX America Corporation and K/P Corporation. A BBQ lunch hosted by NW Natural was held at Pringle Creek Community after the tours.

IMEX America Corporation, is a world-leading manufacturer of monochromeand color toner for the laser printing aftermarket. The company supplies toner worldwide to the recycling industry which reuses empty cartridges, extending their useful life and keeping them out of landfills.

IMEX Company Ltd., headquartered in Japan, established IMEX America Corporation in Salem, in 2002, to meet the growing demand for monochrome toner in the United States. The factory has been producing and shipping state-of-the-art toner to domestic and international customers since that time. Increasing customer demand resulted in IMEX’s recent expansion which more than doubled their capacity and included space for new equipment and warehousing.

Protecting the environment, keeping up with the rapid change in laser printer technology and providing a consistently high quality product are key to their commitment. They are staying ahead of their competitors by using the latest innovative equipment and working closely with their customers. Their niche market focuses on an efficient production process to produce a product for their customers made with top of the line ingredients.

3560 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem
503-391-1500 or visit www.imex-global.com

In 1929, K/P Corporation opened as Knapp Printing in Salem. They are a leading provider of direct marketing solutions and business process consulting, along with a wide range of fulfillment, mailing, and printing services. They moved into their 32,000 sq. ft. fulfillment, print and direct mail facility in 2006.

The new location allowed them to consolidate two Salem locations. The facility has made it possible for them to meet their customers’ increased requirements for marketing support services. The fulfillment center quadrupled square footage and enhanced security systems to protect customers’ information and materials.

Known for craftsmanship and professional excellence in fulfillment, printing and direct mail, K/P is continually evolving to meet their customers’ needs as the leading resource for strategic marketing solutions. Building clients’ brands in today’s fast paced environment depends on more than how the message goes out.

Headquartered in San Ramon, CA - K/P has nine production facilities located in California, Washington, Oregon, Utah and Texas with approximately 500 full-time employees.

A BBQ lunch at Pringle Creek Community.
NW Natural sponsored a BBQ lunch at Pringle Creek Community. Pringle Creek Community is one of the most sustainable communities being built in the country. Their guiding principles integrate green building, energy efficiency and respect to our natural environment. A presentation was given on the sustainable community, with time to look at information and tour the property.
www.pringlecreek.com

PPG Industries
Pittsburgh-based PPG, founded in 1883, is a global supplier of paints, coatings, chemicals, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiber glass. The company employs more than 30,000 people and has 125 manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in more than 20 countries. Sales in 2006 were $11 billion.

PPG is the source for superior products, innovative solutions and great service. PPG’s global presence has enabled them to build a history of supplying quality automotive glass and coatings for both original equipment and replacement markets to the top car companies in the world. PPG has been designing, improving and manufacturing automotive windshields since they were invented and the tradition of innovation and quality continues to this day. Their auto glass is supplied as OEM parts for vehicles made by BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota and others.

Today PPG is a leader in its markets, streamlined and efficient, and on the leading edge of new technologies to provide a growth-focused future worldwide.

T-Mobile
The Salem, T-Mobile, is one of 21 call centers within the U. S. owned and operated by Deutshe Telekom, one of the worlds largest telecommunication companies. The call center takes approximately 22,500 calls a day from a customer base of 25 million. The building was constructed in 1999, to accommodate 500 employees. Since that time there has been numerous interior design changes within the center to accommodate their expanded employee base of approximately 1000 employees.

In early 2006, a decision was made to create a more efficient working environment for their employees. The cost for the project was close to $3 million dollars. The new design includes 38 Pods, one for each team of 17. Since the center had to stay in operation during the remodel, the project was broken down into nine phases and took six months to complete. Also built into the design for the employees were a fully operational restaurant, a new TV lounge and game area with stadium seating and surround sound, new lobby furniture and a new Mothers room.

Site Tour Sponsored By:

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The October Site tour visited Blazer Industries (Aumsville) and Littau Harvesters (Stayton)
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This site tour visited Universal Forest Products and Loxcreen in Woodburn. A picnic lunch was sponsored by NW Natural at Specialty Polymers.
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This interesting tour visited Ark Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Shangri-La Corporation and Garmin AT, Inc.

This site tour visited Marquis Spas, in Independence and Forest River, in Dallas. Over 70 members were in attendance for a tour of these two growing companies.

SEDCOR Industrial Site Tours

Thursday - April 23, 2009

SEDCOR
Industrial Site Tours