Industries for the Blind plans expansion
West Allis-based Industries for the Blind plans to build a $3 million, 48,562-square-foot addition to its 90,000-square-foot facility at 445 S. Curtis Road. The project will also include alterations to the building’s mezzanine area to create about 8,000 square feet of new office space.
For the expansion project, about 28,000 square feet of the space will be used for distribution operations and another 20,000 square feet of space will be used for new manufacturing business ventures, said president and CEO Chuck Lange.
“We are working on a number of products that are in development,” he said. “We are anticipating that they will be successful to the point that we will need to expand in order to produce them.”
Industries for the Blind is a non-profit organization, with a mission to provide jobs for blind and visually impaired individuals. The company has 260 employees, including 150 in West Allis, and plans to add another 25 to 50 employees in West Allis as part of the expansion project, Lange said. About 75 percent of the company’s employees are visually impaired or blind.
The organization manufactures several different products, primarily for government customers, but also provides some products to private customers including Wal-Mart.
The expansion project is expected to break ground by August, Lange said.
In Tandem Theatre hosts sneak peak open house
In Tandem Theatre will host its Fourth Annual Sneak Peek & Open House on Wednesday, July 28, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Tenth Street Theatre, located in the lower level of the Calvary Church, 628 N. 10th St., Milwaukee.
During the event, performers will give a 20 minute sneak peek performance of the 2010-11 season at the theater. Performances will include Art of Murder, Scrooge in Rouge, Murder at Howard Johnson’s and Thrill Me: The Leopold Loch Story. Sneak Peek performances will be done at 6 and 7:30 p.m. Season subscriptions and single tickets will be on sale throughout the evening.
The event is free and open to the public, and will also include tours of the recently built 99-seat Tenth Street Theatre. Complimentary light appetizers will be available along with a cash bar. Attendees should RSVP by July 20 by calling (414) 271-1371 or emailing info@intandemtheatre.org.
Salvation Army packs meals for earthquake survivors
The Salvation Army of Wisconsin, in partnership with the Upper Michigan Disaster Services and Numana, will pack one million meals for earthquake survivors at The Salvation Army Relief Camps in Haiti. The organizations are seeking the help of 4,000 volunteers to assist with the effort.
The packing will take place on Saturday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in the Wisconsin Products Pavilion, 640 S. 84 St., West Allis.
Volunteers will be assigned to work at a table, packing simple meals of rice, soy protein, vegetables and vitamins in an assembly line fashion. To volunteer or for more information visit www.SAmilwaukee.org.
Sendik’s contributes to ABCD efforts
Balistreri owned and operated Sendik’s Food Markets recently donated $55,000 to ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis. The gift makes the continued expansion of the organization’s free services possible. ABCD specializes in one-to-one support for those affected by breast cancer. ABCD is just one of the charities Sendik’s supports. Pictured from left to right are Kathy Ehley ABCD board president, Margaret Harris co-owner Balistreri owned & operated Sendik’s Market, Ginny Finn ABCD executive director
