GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The 2011 European tour of technology was held Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, 2011. The 30 participants visited some of the world's most innovative, efficient and productive facilities in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. The factory visits focused on panel processing, with particular emphasis on office furniture and components. Every visit was said to be of value to attendees regardless of their manufacturing specialty or end product since it was the innovative production processes that they learned the most from. The Stiles’ tour of technology is truly a benchmarking tour, since participants gained insights on ways to make their business more successful by observing best practices from global influences.