Cheering Them On

Great Projects / Great Partnerships

The employees at Chippewa River Industries (CRI) have become some of the biggest sports fans in the state. Why? CRI is responsible for printing all sorts of towels for a variety of NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA teams throughout the country. CRI gained nation-wide media coverage this spring for their involvement in the printing and distribution of Terrible Towels for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This fall, CRI was busy filling orders for the Detroit Tigers in the MLB World Series. CRI was also recently featured in a segment on CNBC for their involvement with the Terrible Towel production. CRI receives printing orders from a Wisconsin based customer who has partnered with CRI for the past five years.

All this commotion comes during a time of transition for CRI. Just this past December, CRI moved to a new 30,000 square foot facility in the Lake Wissota Business Park in Chippewa Falls. According to Dave Lemanski, Director at CRI, “This move has allowed us to position our organization for more growth and potential expansion of services to the individuals we serve and our production customers.” So far, the move has been fruitful, with CRI experiencing record sales and client census.

This bodes well with the Chippewa County Department of Human Services Director, Dave Rynders. “It has been very gratifying to witness the development of more varied work opportunities for our workers. This has led to more rewarding work experiences and increases in skill sets that ultimately enhance the quality of their lives. I am appreciative of the partnerships we have with area and regional businesses that make this possible and I am very proud of the hard work of CRI staff in developing those relationships and support the success of our workers”, comments Rynders.

CRI is quick to point out that although some success has been achieved, there is still a lot of room for improvement and growth.

At the end of the day, CRI’s greatest asset is its employees. Lemanski notes, “All our growth, particularly in production services, has been wonderful. However, we always remember that our greatest asset is the individuals we employ and serve. Without them, we are nothing”.

Chippewa River Industries At a Glance:

• CRI provides employment and training services to over 160 individuals annually through 7 program areas with a staff of 18.5 employees.
• Sub-contract packaging and assembly services are provided to local, state, and nation-wide customers including businesses in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Tennessee.
• Using principles of Total Quality Management and Lean Manufacturing, CRI continuously seeks ways to operate more efficiently.
• Besides the sea of yellow Terrible Towels at a Pittsburgh Steelers game on any given Fall Sunday, many of the products CRI packages is for retail and ends up on shelves in stores including Wal-Mart, Target, and Pier One.

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