December in Rapid City, South Dakota, doesn’t seem like an ideal destination, especially for those of us who live in warmer climes. But a number of us braved the cold temperatures for an opportunity to spend a day with Kodak and Fenske Media.

It is always a pleasure to visit printing companies that are innovative and growing, and Fenske Media fits the bill. The 90,000-square-foot Fenske facility is located atop a hill with a fabulous view. You can even catch a glimpse of George Washington at Mount Rushmore from a telescope in the lobby.

According to Dave Fenske, the company signed the contracts to build this relatively new facility and acquire new equipment the day before 9/11. Despite the unfortunate timing, the company built an impressive operation and today employs 50 people who rotate through a 4 day (and night) production work week of 9-hour shifts; about 20% of them are IT-oriented.