“Are we there yet?”

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“Are we there yet?”

Family roadtrip fun! I’m pretty sure I was the most excited person in the car for this roadtrip and it felt like we were never going to get there...we passed by miles of tall green corn fields for what seemed like ages, I kept checking my navigation to make sure we weren’t lost...until...in the distance I see a huge white building with red stripes...The KitchenAid Factory! Yay! We made it!

Last summer my Mom, daughters and I took a roadtrip to the Cincinnati area to visit relatives...I knew the KitchenAid factory in Greenville, Ohio was not too far away. So, of course I planned a field trip!

I have always been fascinated with the factory shows on TV that show how products are made...so I couldn’t wait for this real life tour to begin! This is not one of those factory tours where you just ride a tram through a series of dioramas that simulate what’s really going on in the factory...you actually get to walk right through the working factory action where stand mixers, blenders, hand mixers and other products are being molded, painted and assembled.

We joined the rest of the tour group in an auditorium for a briefing and to don our safety goggles and listening devices. The tour started in the lobby with our tour guides Elizabeth and Becky teaching us some KitchenAid history and giving us some factory background. Besides giving tours, Becky and Elizabeth also work in the on-site customer care center.

On display in the lobby are also some historical and commemorative stand mixers. Below you can see:

H-5 Model KitchenAid Stand Mixer made in 1919, first stand mixer for the home. Can you see the attachment hub? Yup, same one on all stand mixers today!
The American Flag stand mixer was part of a collection made after 9-11 for fundraising and donating to fire departments.
The gold stand mixer represents a one million stand mixer production milestone in 1999
The red stand mixer represents a two million stand mixer production milestone in 2012

At this point in the tour, as we approached the big gray doors to the factory...we had to turn in our photo equipment. Made me think of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, when Charlie Bucket approached the mysterious factory with Grandpa Joe and they were about to see all of Mr. Wonka’s candy coated secrets!

Much to my teen and tween daughters’ horror, I did carry a notebook and madly scribbled notes and asked questions during the tour. I can still see the look on their faces - priceless!

Here are a few of my favorite notes:

The most popular colors for stand mixers made at the factory are: metallic chrome, then red, white and black. You can see how the whole multi-step painting process take place on the tour!
They make on average - 7000 stand mixers a day - depending on how many production lines are running.
It takes about 3½ hours to make a stand mixer, start to finish.
The wire whip beater accessories are all assembled by hand - they average 105 per person, per hour! Amazing!

Here is one glimpse inside the factory - photo provided by KitchenAid:

Look at those gorgeous colors!

After the factory tour we headed into the historic town of Greenville, OH to have some lunch and visit The KitchenAid Experience Center. We found a fun place for lunch that was part lunch counter and part eclectic shopping called the Montage Cafe. I also hear the local specialty sandwiches at Maid Rite are a must-try as well!

At the KitchenAid Experience Center, there is a demo kitchen and a KitchenAid museum! They have Julia Child’s mixer on display as well as tons of vintage units and attachments. So much to see! I will definitely be making a return trip!

If you are ever in the Greenville, OH area, I highly recommend taking the KitchenAid Factory Tour and visiting the KitchenAid Experience Center. You can find information for both here. (http://www.kitchenaid.com/experience-retail-center/)

Thanks for coming along on our adventure to the KitchenAid Factory!

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Take Care -

Tina - KitchenAid Team (: