MB’s Massive Airport Snow Clearing Machines Steal the Show

A few days ago, MB opened its doors to the public and invited the community as well as employees and their families to see and explore its Airport Maintenance Products facility in Chilton, WI, which also hosts the North American headquarters. The open house event attracted over 600 visitors, and gave the unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of the production and experience the big snow clearing machines up close. 

Insights into state-of-the-art production

The manufacturing plant tours were in high demand among the guests as they got an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the production process. The plant tour started with a short presentation by Doug Blada, General Manager MB, where he shared insights about the company’s history and innovation. The tour continued to the fabrication area, where the driver's cab of every MB machine is made from aluminum extrusions. From fabrication, the tour moved to the welding area, then on to the gigantic paint booth, where the parts are powder-coated or painted a safety-conscious, eye-catching bright yellow-gold. Next came the assembly lines, where all the parts are attached to the vehicle frame resulting in a completed snow and ice clearing machine. In the final step, the equipment goes through a rigorous pre-delivery inspection where all systems and tested prior to shipping to the airport customer. 

Fun for all ages

After the tours, guests were treated to a spread of food and refreshments. Kids colored and played games, but everyone wanted to see and touch the mammoth snow equipment on display in the parking lot. Neither kids nor adults missed the opportunity to stand next to equipment and take photos. It was heartwarming to see all the wonder and excitement on guests’ faces and the sparkle in the kids’ eyes!

Interest in the company and in joining MB

The plant tours, machines and all the fun attracted a lot of attention, but so did MB as company and employer. MB HR specialists welcomed guests and shared the benefits of working at MB. Happily, a number of applications were received, and interviews began the week following the event.  

It was a pleasure!

MB is grateful to the Chilton community for attending the event and showing enthusiasm and support. "It was a real pleasure to see how even our youngest guests marveled at the machines and how interested the visitors were in MB's innovations and what we do here. The event exceeded our expectations with over 600 people -- friends, families and fans -- who visited us and gave us very positive feedback. I thank them for their interest and our team of employee volunteers for their hard work,” shared Doug Blada, General Manager MB.