Knapheide Manufacturing Company to open new facility in Quincy

• Employment
• Jobs
• Economy
• Growth
• history
• Made in Illinois
• 2017

Knapheide Manufacturing Co., a western Illinois-based truck bed and body company, announced recently that it will begin constructing an additional facility in Quincy.

Knapheide already has a 480,000-square-foot facility in Quincy with about 1,200 workers, making the company one of the city’s largest employers. The new facility will occupy 188,000 square feet just south of Quincy and create 250 new jobs in manufacturing, installation and support roles.

Knapheide has been manufacturing transportation technologies since 1848, when Herman Heinrich Knapheide arrived in Quincy from Germany and founded the Knapheide Wagon Company. This company primarily sold wagons to farmers, miners and pioneers traveling west.

As the automobile industry came of age in the United States, Knapheide began to build wagon bodies for trucks, specifically those used on farms. The company has since diversified its production,manufacturing truck beds and bodies used by mechanics, miners, ranchers, tradespeople, construction workers and more.

The company has been based out of western Illinois since its founding. Knapheide Manufacturing Company is currently under its sixth generation of family ownership. The company’s continued and consistent investment in Illinois speaks volumes about the state’s industrious workforce and manufacturing potential.

Did you know: Sara Lee is based in Illinois?

• Business
• history

The famous baked goods company Sara Lee got its start in 1935 when baker and entrepreneur Charles Lubin and his brother-in-law bought a small chain of Chicago neighborhood bakeries called Community Bake Shops. The stores grew in popularity and increased from three to seven.

Seeking more business ventures, Charlie parted ways with his brother-in-law in 1949 and named his chain of bakeries after his 8-year-old, daughter Sara Lee. The company had operations in more than 40 countries and sold its products in over 180.

Sara Lee’s roots remained in Chicago after being bought by Nathan Cummings in 1956, a Canadian-born American and philanthropist. He acquired multiple businesses, one of which was a leading wholesale grocery company in Chicago (Warner & Co.). In 1956, Cummings’s Consolidated Foods Corp. purchased Sara Lee.

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Update: Folk artist George Colin’s work on sale

SALISBURY ─ George Colin was a folk-artist sensation. He left a wonderful legacy and beautiful treasures behind when he passed. His work is full of bright colors, animals, nature and abstracts. His paintings of Illinois farms are infused with Prairie State pride.

In 1990, his paintings were presented to President George Bush by Illinois Governor Jim Thompson. President Bush was so impressed by his work that he sent a letter to Colin expressing his pleasure.

Colin’s art stands as a testament to his creative genius and love of life. His art has found its way into metropolitan galleries and everyday homes. Winnie Colin, his wife of nearly 48 years, told The State Journal-Register on Wednesday that the time has come to sell some of her husband’s works, as well as other items the couple collected during their years together.

Since 2014, many of his paintings, sculptures and other artworks were on display at his gallery on Mill Street in Salisbury. The sale will be held at the same gallery this weekend, giving art lovers a chance to celebrate the life and work of George Colin, a renowned artist and devoted husband.

The art sale is semi-chronologically ordered to document the life of George Colin. There are image previews of some of Colin’s artwork on The State Journal-Register’s website.

\Who: Colin Folk Art

What: The life and work of George Colin

Where: 6111 Mill Street, Salisbury, IL 62677

When: February 4-5

For here more information about Colin Folk Art’s sell.

Click here for original artist post.

Park of the month: Mississippi Palisades State Park

Located in Carroll County alongside the Mississippi River, Mississippi Palisades State Park is an excellent location for outdoor activities during any month of the year, even the winter months.

It is a little known fact that February is an especially good time of year for bird watching in Illinois. Mississippi Palisades State Park is home to about 200 different species of birds. Species include golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and purple finches. In recent years, the Bald Eagle population of Carroll County has climbed, making Mississippi Palisades State Park an ideal place to spot the majestic birds during January and February. The park is also a destination for other popular winter activities such as cross country skiing, sledding and ice fishing.

During the warmer months, Mississippi Palisades State Park attracts visitors with fifteen miles of hiking trails that follow the same paths that have been used for centuries to traverse the steep cliffs that line the river. The park is also known for its first-rate picnic and camping facilities, open May through October, which were constructed with great care by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s.

Due to natural erosion along the Mississippi River, there are many interesting geological features to explore along the palisades. These formations are visible from the river, where boating and canoeing are popular. Some rock formations along the palisades have been designated as national landmarks by the U.S. Interior Department.

During the fall and spring, Mississippi Palisades State Park is a destination for hunters. The wild turkey archery season in spring and the three-day firearm deer season in November attract hunters to this striking plot of land along the river.

For birding, hunting, fishing, hiking, boating and much more, the natural beauty and diverse, local wildlife of Mississippi Palisades State Park never disappoint.