Ian Richardson, one of LSI’s brewing and distillation team members, was recently featured in Canadian Packaging Magazine’s September 2019 issue. The article, entitled “Team Spirits,” has Richardson discussing his role with LSI in the automation and integration of process controls throughout Spring Mill Distillery in Guelph, Ontario. The story provides an in-depth look at Richardson’s leadership of the Spring Mill project and highlights the ways that LSI was able to help the distiller transform a 184-year-old stone building into the state-of-the-art facility it is today.
The 20,000-square-foot distillery project kicked off in early 2018. In the article, Richardson explains that he and his team worked hard to respect the customer’s artisanal, hands-on approach to production, even while automating many of the facility’s systems and processes. LSI worked with Mike Delevante, from Delevante and Associates, one of the industry’s leading consultants on distilleries secured by Spring Mill. Delevante supplied the distilling expertise to complement the team to ensure that all parties understood the end game. “Understanding Spring Mill’s goals was imperative, which is why the automation platform had to be flexible,” says Richardson. “In the end, the Omron Sysmac automation platform proved to be a cost-effective solution with plenty of flexibility to accommodate Spring Mill Distillery’s future production needs.”
“I think it’s fair to say that it was a success story for both Spring Mill and LSI,” says Richardson. “A job well done to all involved.”
Richardson has been with LSI since 2013 and has more than 35 years of experience in the beverage, brewing and distilling industries. As a member of LSI’s executive team, he’s heavily involved in project commissioning, management and evaluation – from concept through completion. Richardson also serves as the branch manager of LSI’s location in Toronto, Ontario.