Midwest Industrial Tool Grinding, Inc., (MITGI for short) moved into the former SHOPKO Building in downtown Hutchinson. A manufacturer of industrial tooling, MITGI had grown to the point where it was virtually bursting at the seams of its existing 20,000 sf building. Seeing that the SHOPKO building was for sale, the company approached the City about the possibility of relocating the business to the downtown. Thinking outside the box, the City agreed to modify the existing zoning ordinance to allow ‘clean’ manufacturing in the downtown area. MITGI then purchased and renovated the 78,000 sf SHOPKO building. Today, the company has room to grow in a state-of-the-art high-tech manufacturing facility. The City benefits by having a vacant building creatively reused and a vibrant employer in its downtown.
