My ‘Kwik Trip’ To La Crosse

Earlier this month some co-workers and I were treated to a field trip of sorts. We were invited to attend Kwik Trip Media Days at their corporate headquarters in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. We got to tour their facilities, including the kitchen, dairy, bakery, and distribution center (hence the hair net).

On our visit we learned a ton of information about how Kwik Trip--known as Kwik Star here in Iowa--operates. Kwik Trip utilizes a process known as "vertical integration." That's a really fancy way of saying they make, ship, and sell everything themselves (Cafe Karuba, Kitchen Cravings, Urge and Nature's Touch are all Kwik Trip brands).

Here is more of what I found out:

• Kwik Trip has their own blow mold plant and makes their own milk bottles and jugs.
• They ship 21,120 cases of bananas each week...and have their own banana ripening room!
• In 2018, their bakery produced 6,471,582 boxes of delicious Glazer Donuts. That amounts 38,829,492 individual Glazers.
• Their kitchen can produce 35,000 sandwiches per day!
• There's Kwik Trip/Stars in only three states: Wisconsin, Minnesota & Iowa (of course)
• Iowa is getting the most new locations in 2019 including one in Cedar Falls!

But probably the most impressive thing we learned about Kwik Star is the way they treat their people. Everyone we spoke with had nothing but excellent things to say about the way they're treated. Kwik Star's co-workers pride themselves on being knowledgeable and friendly, and it starts at the top.

Thanks to Kwik Trip for inviting Q92.3 ... see ya next time! :-)

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