Six manufacturing companies in the Las Vegas area are opening their doors for plant tours on Thursday, October 9. Bally Gaming International; Ethel M Chocolates; Merillat Industries, LLC; Nevada Color Litho; Shelby American, Inc.; and Sweetheart Cup Company, which will enable APICS conference attendees “to see firsthand how other manufacturers make and distribute their products,” said Karen Alber, CFPIM, 2003 APICS Conference Committee chair.

“The participating industries are so varied that attendees will have the opportunity to visit a company that may be similar to the one they work for, or they may chose to go a completely different route and visit a company that is entirely different from the one back home,” said Alber. “Either way, the plant tours open doors to new ideas and experiences.”

Bally Gaming International started as Bally Manufacturing Company in 1932 when founder Raymond T. (Ray) Moloney developed the Ballyhoo pinball game. From the pinball market to slot machine manufacturing, Moloney rode the wave of success, providing inexpensive entertainment during the Great Depression and after. The company took a hiatus after the United States entered World War II as Moloney converted his gaming and amusement business into a manufacturer of a variety of wartime materials. After the war, Bally began its climb to the top of the gaming and amusement industries and by 1976 was the main supplier of slot machines, coin-operated arcade games, and slot accounting systems. In 1998, Bally Gaming introduced Thrillions, a wide-area linked progressive jackpot system with cartoon icon Betty Boop. One of the latest slot machine innovations is EVO, an advanced video slot machine that uses video and computer technology, giving Bally Gaming the platform to capitalize on the strengths of licensed slot titles such as Popeye, Blondie, Playboy, Ray Charles, and Winning for Dummies.

Hungry for chocolate? Visit Ethel M Chocolates, the premium gift chocolate division of Masterfoods USA, a Mars Incorporated company. The founder, Forrest Mars Sr., stepped out of retirement to form the new company in 1976, naming it after his mother and using many of her recipes and methods. The company is known for its gourmet confections, and tour participants will watch while the candy fillings and centers are cooked and cooled, coated in chocolate, molded, and wrapped. Adjacent to the factory are the Cactus Garden and the Living Machine, a water recycling plant that mimics natural wetlands. The treatment plant uses live bacteria, algae, protozoa, fish, and plants (no chemicals) to remove the pollutants from the wastewater generated by the factory.

From chocolate manufacturing to the kitchen cabinets in which to store those tasty morsels. Merillat Industries, LLC, is a leading manufacturer of cabinetry for the home. The assembly plant, which opened in Las Vegas in 1984, ships more than 250 kitchens per day. Merillat was a batch-and-queue manufacturer before switching to its lean processing methods. Today, the assembly plant is organized around cells, each with the equipment it needs to build full kitchen orders one at a time. Lead time is now five days from order to delivery to the customer. Practicing its JIT philosophy, Merillat can deliver a new kitchen to you just-in-time for that holiday gathering. Food not included!

Ever wonder how your daily newspaper gets printed or the APICS publications such as the APICS Dictionary, Educational Resources Catalog, and courseware? Nevada Color Litho

produces a wide variety of publications, with print runs that range from 100 copies to 100,000. Founded in 1994, the company, one of the leading sheetfed printers in the country, focuses on its customer service and commitment to quality.

Feeling nostalgic? Back in the 1960s, Shelby American, Inc., produced the legendary Cobra sports car. Today, its newest manufacturing facility, which opened in 1998, is at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Research and Development Center that provides a testing ground right outside the factory door. From this new state-of-the-art facility, the Cobra 427 S/C and Cobra 289 FIA lines are produced as well as the Series 1 roadster. Learn how Shelby’s streamlined production techniques don’t sacrifice the hand-crafted quality for which the company is known.

In 1911, a folded waffle around a scoop of ice cream was the start of the long history of a company that today is known as Sweetheart Cup Company. From that ice cream cone, Sweetheart Cup emerged to become the largest manufacturer of single-use disposable products for the food and beverage service industry. The company makes products out of both paper and plastic, clear, white, or custom colors, with custom printing or matched product-line graphics. The Las Vegas plant where Trophy foam cups, straws, and lids are made opened in 1981. Plant tour attendees won’t be served an ice cream cone, but they will see how materials flow through the plant, from raw materials to distribution.

“These companies represent a wide variety of industries providing something for everyone, giving tour participants the chance to see how the companies transform the manufacturing challenges into opportunities,” said Alber.