The San Fernando Valley Chapter of APICS is proud to present our upcoming plant tour of the D'Addario Woodwinds reed factory (formerly Rico Reeds).  We’re looking forward to seeing you on August 10th at 6:30pm. The address of our Sun Valley site is 8484 San Fernando Rd.

The tour will begin promptly at 6:30pm 

There will be light refreshments available beginning at 6 p.m.

There will be a short presentation by John Moore, their Director of Operations on how they are putting Lean to work in the factory, a short video, and then a guided tour. 

Due to factory noise, the tour will utilize headsets, of which there is a limited amount, so we must limit the number of attendees to 20. After the first 20, you will be placed on a waiting list. We will notify you by Weds. at 5 p.m. if there is room for those on the waiting list.

· Please arrive 5-10 minutes prior.

· IMPORTANT: We recommend that all guests wear flat, closed-toe and closed-heel shoes (No sandals or high heels). We recommend wearing comfortable shoes/sneakers.

Thank you and we hope to see you soon! 

About the making of reeds and this factory:

History

In 1926, Joseph Rico's nephew, Frank De Michele, a clarinetist with Walt Disney studios, wrote to him complaining about how hard it was to find good reeds in Los Angeles. He wrote: "Uncle Joe, you are so well established in the musical scene in Paris, I'm sure you could find all kinds of good reeds for me." Joseph easily found reeds to send him, however three weeks later, Frank wrote again: "My friends liked the reeds you sent so much; I have none left for myself. Could you please send me more?" After a series of similar letters, Joseph's reed supplier regrettably explained that he could no longer provide reeds due to a cane shortage. His nephew asked Joseph if he could at least send some cane so that he could try making his own reeds. Joseph had a vacation cottage in the Var region of southern France where he found excellent reed cane. In 1928, Joseph Rico sent the first shipment of 350 kilos of reed cane to America. 

To honor his uncle, Frank asked if he could use his name to launch his first reed line named "Rico." Soon thereafter, Frank De Michele found four partners, including musician and engineer Roy J. Maier, to create the first Rico reed factory.

In 2004, Rico was acquired by D'Addario & Co, the world's foremost manufacturer of musical instrument accessories. A family owned and operated business, D'Addario's success is built on a passion for innovation and quality. The research and development arm of D'Addario is one of its strongest assets. Headed by James D'Addario, its engineering department has accumulated many important manufacturing and product patents in the field.

For a more detailed history of the factory, please visit their website: http://www.woodwinds.daddario.com/woodwindsAboutUsHistory.Page?ActiveID=4645