Bakery expands reach through new wholesale partnerships
‘Growing’ into a new office location, company president
January 12, 2026
APPLETON – Rivian, an American EV (electric vehicle) automobile manufacturer and technology company, is moving into the Fox Valley region later this year in Appleton following the completion of its new facility at 3275 E. Winslow Ave.
Beau Whiteman, Rivian director of public policy, said the company’s move into the Fox Valley is largely geography-related.
Founded in 2009, Whiteman said the company is headquartered in Irvine, California, and operates a manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, with another planned about an hour outside Atlanta.
“Rivian started selling its first automotive products in 2021,” he said. “About 18 months ago, we added a service and demonstration center in Menomonee Falls [near Milwaukee], so that center does a great job servicing the southern portion of the state. [Now], we need to cover the northern part of the state as well, so Appleton helps with that.”
Currently, Whiteman said Rivian sells three products: the R1S, the R1T and the Amazon Custom EDV – a last-mile delivery van.
“The relationship we have with Amazon, with them being our largest customer, they have a distribution facility in Appleton,” he said. “This will allow us to easily partner with them and meet their service needs, along with our passenger vehicle needs. Amazon has more than 35,000 of those vans in use across North America and Europe, and they’ve delivered more than one billion packages with them.”
More on the facility
Like the Menomonee Falls facility, Whiteman said the Appleton location will be a service and demonstration center.
“Customers can come in and have all of their Rivian warranty service obligations fulfilled,” he said. “Additionally, customers can have their service needs met – tires, etc.”
The demonstration area of the facility, Whiteman said, gives prospective local customers hands-on experience with Rivian vehicles, allowing them to test-drive the product and learn more about the technology.
“After driving a vehicle and asking any questions they might have, people can figure out for themselves whether a Rivian is something for them,” he said. “This is part of our broader national strategy to amplify the impact of as many of our brick-and-mortar facilities as we can.”
Whiteman said the centers are designed to be welcoming, helping break down barriers to electric vehicle adoption.
“In certain ways, this new Rivian facility will look like a typical automobile lot you might see in Appleton, but in a lot of ways, no,” he said.
Unlike traditional dealers, Whiteman said Rivian uses a direct-to-consumer sales model, which means the company does not maintain vehicle inventory.
“At any of our locations, you won’t pull up and see a parking lot full of Rivian vehicles available,” he said. “What you will see at this location is a handful of vehicles available for demonstration and for education. Folks can take one out for a spin, come back and ask questions.”
Whiteman said one of the main goals of this business model is to ease pressure on customers by creating a more educational environment rather than one focused on high-stakes negotiations.
“With a lot of our customers, even now, their Rivian is their first electric vehicle,” he said. “When you go from a lifetime of driving a gasoline or diesel-powered car to going to your first electric car, you have a lot of questions, and reasonably so. Our teams are there to spend time with you, help you overcome those hurdles and get you comfortable and prepared to enjoy the vehicle from day one.”
Ultimately, Whiteman said if customers decide to buy a Rivian, they will complete the purchase through the company’s online portal.
“The entire transaction is completed online,” he said. “In other words, you can’t walk into the Appleton facility and drive away with a new Rivian vehicle.”
Even with the Menomonee Falls service and demonstration center already in use, and the Appleton location coming later this year, Whiteman said Rivian is not done expanding into the Badger State.
“I would say it’s almost all but a certainty [other facilities are coming to Wisconsin],” he said. “It’s really exciting to work with the whole team and be a part of that, because inevitably, as this company grows and we sell more vehicles, we are going to need more service facilities – not just in Wisconsin, but ultimately, all across the country.”
The practicality of EVs
Whiteman said one common concern about electric vehicles is the perception that they aren’t practical and that their charge doesn’t last long.
“I think that stigma is fading into the past,” he said. “With the current product lineup we have, we offer three different battery ranges depending on your lifestyle needs. The biggest one is up to 420 miles.”
Another “problem” people mention, Whiteman said, is the lack of infrastructure regarding EV charging stations.
However, he said that issue is being addressed as late last year, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced funding for 26 new charging locations across the state through a $14 million grant.
“Because EV charging stations are often tucked into existing retail plazas or existing gas stations, if you don’t drive an EV, you’re often not aware that it’s there,” he said. “But the fact is that right now, you can drive across every Interstate in Wisconsin, worry-free. Also, all EV manufacturers have now agreed on using the same plug, which has made infrastructure access much more convenient.”
Whiteman said the overwhelming majority of the time, EVs are “very practical.”
“You’re getting in your car in the morning, going to work, you might run an errand or two after work and then you’re going home and plugging your car in,” he said. “Once folks have this breakthrough moment and realize how easy it is to own an EV – especially in winter climates when you don’t have to stand out in zero-degree temperatures pumping gas at 6:30 a.m. on your way to work – it’s a revelation.”
In the past few years, Whiteman said the electric vehicle ownership experience has improved significantly, with standardized plugs and expanding infrastructure making it possible to drive nearly anywhere the interstate highway system reaches.
“Ranges continue to increase,” he said. “With every new model and every new year, it’s just a little bit better than the one before.”
Wisconsin’s cold winters, Whiteman said, can affect battery life “a little bit.”
“But, when you’re doing your daily thing, and your range is 200-400-plus miles, you’re not really going to notice it,” he said.
Future growth on the Rivian EV horizon
Whiteman said the company is rapidly and deliberately expanding its service operations to meet current customer demand while preparing for the future.
In terms of products offered, he said Rivian has a good variety with its current fleet of EVs, with plans to release others in the next couple of years.
“The R1T is a pickup truck, while the RS1 is a full-size SUV,” he said. “At some point this year, we’ll also be releasing the R2, which will be a five-passenger, mid-size SUV – starting in the mid-40 [thousand-dollar price range]. It’s all hands on deck, and all eyes on that prize. It’s going to be a really exciting moment for the company to enter the main street segment of the U.S. consumer market.”
Whiteman said the RS1 seats seven and shares its footprint almost identically with the Chevrolet Tahoe.
“It’s a great product, but it could be too big for some folks,” he said. “That’s why we are excited to bring in the R2 – to meet folks in that best-selling segment of automobiles in the U.S. market.”
Whiteman said Rivian’s expansion goes beyond current models, with CEO RJ Scaringe adding an unexpected surprise and delight during last year’s R2 launch.
“You could say it was a ‘just-one-more-thing’ moment,” he said. “Our CEO brought out onto the stage the R3, which is going to be produced at our Georgia facility when it comes online. We don’t quite have a proper designation for it yet in terms of a market description, but there is ample content about it on our website.”
Whiteman said the soon-to-be-produced R3 is going to be a bit smaller than the R2.
“It looks super cool,” he said. “Folks are really excited about it. Admittedly, I am, too, because when we announced it, we also announced the kit version of it – the R3X, which has fat tires, a lot of horsepower and really exciting capabilities.”
Whiteman said Rivian prides itself on the types of vehicles it produces.
“Our cars are made to perform your daily tasks but also inspire fun,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to the Georgia plant coming online and ultimately getting this whole product lineup out into the hands of our future customers.”
The facility is being developed by Briohn Land Development of Brookfield and will also be occupied by Paul Davis Restoration Inc.
