Midwest customer swing, week 43
31 places
Planned Sunday night: customers due a reorder first, prospects slotted between them, no drive leg over two hours, lunch and a bed on the way. Sample data.
- Halsted Fastener & Supply
1500 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Mon 7:45 AM
Monthly reorder account; confirm the Q4 bolt order. Buyer Dana likes a text before you arrive. Park on the Carroll Ave side.
- Northbrook Tool Crib
3000 Dundee Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062, USA
Mon 9:30 AM
Intro from a trade-show lead; the buyer wants carbide insert pricing. Visitor lot is behind the building.
- Lakeshore Hydraulics
2550 Washington St, Waukegan, IL 60085, USA
Mon 11:00 AM
Settle two late September deliveries before pitching anything new. Ask for plant manager Ray; the dock gate closes at noon.
- Fifth Avenue Sandwich Co.
5800 6th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140, USA
Mon 12:15 PM
Quick lunch, 25 minutes from Waukegan. Order ahead by phone; seats go by 12:30. Log the Waukegan notes while you eat.
- Racine Pump & Valve
1500 Douglas Ave, Racine, WI 53404, USA
Mon 1:30 PM
Owner-run shop that buys from two competitors; lead with the seal-kit line. Street parking only, bring quarters.
- Menomonee Valley Bearing
2400 W Canal St, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
Mon 3:30 PM
Largest account of the week; the annual contract renews Nov 1. Buyer Priya signs, her manager Tom joins at 4.
- Water Street Inn
700 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
Mon night, check in by 6:30
Overnight. Garage is $22 a night; upload Monday notes before bed and send the manager the Waukesha prep.
- Greenfield Gear & Chain
1126 S 70th St, West Allis, WI 53214, USA
Tue 8:00 AM
Weekly counter-order customer; buyer Marcus wants a quote for 40 roller chains by Friday. Use the side lot.
- Fox River Controls
1500 N Grandview Blvd, Waukesha, WI 53188, USA
Tue 10:00 AM
Referred by Greenfield Gear. An engineer runs this meeting, so bring spec sheets, not a price list. Lot B is for visitors.
- Lac La Belle Diner
100 W Wisconsin Ave, Oconomowoc, WI 53066, USA
Tue 11:45 AM
Lunch halfway to Watertown. Counter seats are quickest; the lot behind the diner is free.
- Rock River Plastics
700 Hoffman Dr, Watertown, WI 53094, USA
Tue 1:00 PM
Molder with three presses that runs through lunch; the plant manager wants a vendor-managed bin for gloves.
- Badger Mill Industrial
5500 Nobel Dr, Fitchburg, WI 53711, USA
Tue 3:00 PM
Blanket order of fasteners and abrasives; walk the stockroom with the foreman to count bins. Dock parking opens at 3.
- Capitol Square Inn
22 E Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703, USA
Tue night, check in by 6:00
Overnight. Park in the Capitol Square ramp. Wednesday starts at 7:30, so pack the car tonight.
- Femrite Drive Fabricators
4301 Lien Rd, Madison, WI 53704, USA
Wed 7:30 AM
Early-shift buyer who leaves at 8:30. The reorder is 12 pallets of wire; confirm the dock door number.
- Tomah Welding Supply
1100 Superior Ave, Tomah, WI 54660, USA
Wed 10:15 AM
Family shop with three delivery trucks; owner Gus wants Thursday drop-offs. Park out front, he is in the shop.
- Barstow Street Cafe
505 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA
Wed 12:00 PM
Lunch an hour and a half from Tomah. Metered parking on Barstow; the cafe takes phone orders.
- Chippewa Valley Rigging
3200 Craig Rd, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA
Wed 1:30 PM
Lifting-gear customer due for inspection tags; ask about the new warehouse bay. Visitor spots by the yard gate.
- St. Croix Cold Storage
1700 Hanley Rd, Hudson, WI 54016, USA
Wed 4:00 PM
New 60,000 sq ft freezer; maintenance lead Jo is deciding on a fitting supplier this month. Arrive early, traffic on I-94 builds.
- Cathedral Hill Suites
360 Cedar St, St Paul, MN 55101, USA
Wed night, check in by 6:30
Overnight in St. Paul so Thursday starts in Minneapolis, not the highway. Ramp parking next door.
- North Loop Machine Works
2601 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418, USA
Thu 8:00 AM
Quarterly review with the buyer and the plant manager; expect a request for a faster shipping tier. Park in the north lot.
- Eagandale Dairy Equipment
1380 Corporate Center Curve, Eagan, MN 55121, USA
Thu 10:00 AM
Maintenance lead found us through the website; he needs NSF-rated lubricants before an audit. Ask for a plant tour.
- Fountain Lake Kitchen
201 S Broadway Ave, Albert Lea, MN 56007, USA
Thu 12:15 PM
Lunch an hour south of Eagan, the last good stop before Mason City. Free parking on the street.
- North Iowa Grain Systems
2000 4th St SW, Mason City, IA 50401, USA
Thu 2:00 PM
Grain-handling contractor in a busy season; keep it to 30 minutes. The buyer is a former customer of ours, so start there.
- Story County Equipment Rental
2500 S Duff Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA
Thu 4:00 PM
Rental yard that reorders filters and belts every six weeks. Buyer Kim wants a net-60 term; check with finance first.
- Court Avenue Lodge
310 Court Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA
Thu night, check in by 6:00
Overnight in the Court District. Friday is the longest day, so aim for lights out by 10.
- Beaverdale Packaging
8001 Douglas Ave, Urbandale, IA 50322, USA
Fri 8:00 AM
Two-shift packaging plant; the buyer signs reorders on the spot. Check in at the front office, not the dock.
- Clarke County Grain & Feed
300 S Main St, Osceola, IA 50213, USA
Fri 10:00 AM
Co-op with a new maintenance shop; the manager asked for a call back last month. Park on Main, the door is round the side.
- Bethany Square Cafe
100 N 16th St, Bethany, MO 64424, USA
Fri 11:45 AM
Last full-service lunch before Kansas City. Closes at 2 PM, so do not be late.
- Cameron Truck & Trailer
1000 N Walnut St, Cameron, MO 64429, USA
Fri 1:00 PM
Fleet shop with one overdue invoice; settle it kindly and ask about trailer parts. Parking in the gravel yard.
- Northland Electrical Wholesale
2300 Burlington St, North Kansas City, MO 64116, USA
Fri 2:45 PM
Counter and truck-stock wholesaler wanting a second source for fasteners. Buyer Luis meets at the will-call window.
- Lenexa Cold Chain Services
9200 Marshall Dr, Lenexa, KS 66215, USA
Fri 4:30 PM
Week finishes here with the account review. Send the manager the week-43 notes before you drive home.