Eighteen miles away, in Grandview, MO, RI Industries clients worked onsite for American Ingredients Company (AIC). AIC needed a large number of corrugated cardboard boxes relabeled for the new year, and needed the job done fast.

AIC has been a long-time customer of RI Industries. However, in the past the work has always been brought to the clients in one of our three workshops. This time 14 client–workers traveled to AIC to perform the work. “We had 18,000 boxes that needed to be relabeled and could only take three to four pallets to RI Industries at a time,” said Don Bruno, AIC Logistics Coordinator. "This particular job was too large and too expensive to transport from AIC to RI Industries."

Always concerned with meeting customer needs, RI Industries worked with Mr. Bruno and came up with a solution to his problem. If the job couldn’t come to the Institute, then our clients-workers would go to the AIC warehouse. Everyday, for two weeks, three RI Industries employees, including on-site supervisor Lois Tinkey, personally transported the clients to Grandview. The assigned client-workers had worked on former AIC jobs at the Institute and were familiar with the work that they would be doing.

"We had a fairly large area, on the second floor, which worked out extremely well for the clients and for our needs, said Bruno.” “The clients were able to come in and out of the building without any traffic problems. A lot of the time we didn’t even know they were there, they were so quiet. The job tasks included placing new labels on boxes, re-skidding and banding the boxes and assuring the boxes stay in order by lot and control numbers."

"The clients worked so efficiently that we couldn’t get the labels ready quickly enough for them to complete more boxes. They were courteous and professional and I was impressed with how they conducted themselves. There were no grumblings about what they were being asked to do," Bruno said.

Although the off-site job lasted only two weeks, the positive effects will be long lasting. RI Industries is exploring additional off-site work opportunities for client-workers. Area businesses benefit from the availability of a quality, cost-effective service and our clients gain added experience that will help them in their transition to competitive employment.

RI Industries, a division of the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City, is an Extended Work Adjustment Program for working-aged adults with significant disabilities. RI Industries provides subcontract services for area businesses: these services include packaging, mailing, assembly and related needs at a competitive rate. Work is traditionally performed in one of three workshops located at 3011 Baltimore and at 12th and Troost. Pick-up and delivery service is available.