Trivia Time

First, the question:

Which of these in-plants closed its doors just as IPG’s cover story about it was going to press?

_ Sands Hotel & Casino
_ Rohm & Haas
_ Rocketdyne
_ The University of Chicago

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Though all four of those in-plants were sadly shuttered in the 1990s, only one of them managed to do it right under our vigilant noses.

In late 1997 I drove to Atlantic City to tour the in-plant at Sands Hotel & Casino. Manager Sam Green was a great host and even arranged to let us take photos in the casino, which is almost unheard of. He appeared on our January 1998 cover, under the headline “Big Winner.”

About a week before I received my copies of that issue, I read that the Sands had closed down the in-plant, sending Sam to a happy retirement. Oh well. At least we got a really nice cover photo out of it. (Big winner, indeed.)

Also of interest, in January of 1994, IPG (then IPR) interviewed Rocketdyne’s in-plant for a cover story in our February issue. Anyone who lived in southern California around that time knows what happened January 17, 1994. Before our issue hit the presses, the Northridge Earthquake had destroyed the shop.

(I know what you’re thinking, but I assure you this isn’t a trend. Twice in 14 years is not too bad. Right?)