SPARTA, MICHIGAN, November 2, 2026 – Lassonde Industries, owner of Old Orchard Brands, will open its Sparta, West Michigan bottling facility to high school students throughout the region this fall. Throughout October and November, the company has confirmed a minimum of five dates for its plant leaders and teams to welcome students with personalized tours of the facility.

The program is inspired by Discover Manufacturing Tours, which introduces students to local manufacturers and food processors for on-site facility tours, personalized experiences and the opportunity to connect with industry professionals. The Lassonde tours are part of the agricultural segment of the program, which is co-organized by the West Michigan Agri Business Talent Council.

“We participated in this program last year, and absolutely loved it,” says Chris Mangione, manager for the Lassonde plant who has worked at the facility since 2009. “As a team, this program deepens our appreciation for our work as well as our connection to the community and our future workforce. We can see that the students are enriched by the experience, and so are we.”

For their first year in the program, Chris and his team welcomed four schools, including one organized outside of the program. Led by experienced Lassonde personnel, the tours can accommodate up to 25 students at a time and last for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Plant managers split teams into groups of six to eight people who later meet in a boardroom to share the discoveries they have made.

To date, four schools are scheduled to tour the plant, including 20 students from Forest Hills Northern High School and 20 from Harbor Lights Middle School. Two additional tours are scheduled outside the council, which will bring in the senior class of 51 students from The Potter’s House private school in Grand Rapids.

The first tour this year is scheduled for Harbor Lights Middle School on November 12, 2026.

Opened in 1985, the Lassonde Old Orchard plant has been a longstanding employer in West Michigan and contributor to the local economy. The tours are part of the company’s efforts to recruit talented new staff members from within the West Michigan region for the years to come.

Lassonde’s Old Orchard bottling facility in Sparta, MI is opening its doors to students this fall as part of a Discover Manufacturing Tours program to inspire future workers in the manufacturing industry.