When you’re one of the largest vertically integrated poultry producers in the United States, every minute matters. Koch Foods operates across the full production lifecycle, from farm operations to processing to distribution, with more than 13,000 employees depending on fast, reliable access to business‑critical applications.
So when a forever-changing business model started increasing licensing costs, aging hardware, and management overhead began slowing down their Citrix environment, the IT team knew something had to change.
“We were able to take 10ZiG’s hardware and software together as a single‑vendor solution, and it completely streamlined our environment. Performance improved, management got easier, and our users love it.”
– Brian Mooney, Citrix Administrator, Koch Foods
For an operation as large and distributed as Koch Foods, the reliability of its Citrix environment isn’t only an IT concern; it directly affects production lead times, employee productivity, and the company’s ability to maintain its farm‑to‑table promise. Any slowdown or disturbance can cascade across processing plants, administrative offices, and distribution centers. That’s why the shift to a more secure, cost‑effective, and easier‑to‑manage endpoint platform became a calculated priority. 10ZiG allowed their team to go beyond upgrading Kock Foods’ hardware by fortifying its digital backbone, which keeps the entire operation moving.
IGEL’s Rising Costs and Koch’s Shrinking Control
For years, Koch Foods relied on IGEL thin clients to power their Citrix environment. But as IGEL shifted from perpetual licensing to a subscription model, the economics changed dramatically.
“The costs just kept increasing,” recalls Mooney. And the financial impact wasn’t the only concern.
The latest IGEL OS necessitated more resources than Koch Foods’ existing hardware could support, requiring the replacement of 80-90% of their devices. To make the new OS work, Koch Foods would need a costly third-party hardware refresh, split support, and a more expensive licensing model, all at once.
Meanwhile, day‑to‑day management was becoming a burden for their lean IT team. They were experiencing constant firmware updates, increasing support challenges, and inconsistent vendor responsiveness. And because Koch Foods relies heavily on on‑premises infrastructure for operational control, outages weren’t an option.
“If there’s any outage, we could be dead in the water… we need the control offered by an on‑premises solution”
— Brian Mooney, Citrix Administrator, Koch Foods
10ZiG’s Unified Endpoint Strategy Solution
Koch Foods selected 10ZiG to modernize its endpoint environment, and the shift was game-changing.
A Single-Vendor Platform That Works
The team deployed a mix of 10ZiG Thin Clients and Zero Clients across user and task‑based endpoints. For existing hardware, they used 10ZiG RepurpOS™ to convert IGEL thin clients, HP Mini devices, and Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo 50q systems into modern, secure endpoints.
This allowed Koch Foods to extend the life of existing hardware, standardize on a single OS and management platform, and avoid a costly and frankly unnecessary hardware refresh.
Customization That Meets Real Workflows
10ZiG worked directly with Koch Foods so they could tailor the firmware, UI, and configurations to the company’s unique workflows, something Mooney says other vendors simply wouldn’t do.
“They customized their firmware for us. I don’t think any other company would do that.”
— Brian Mooney, Citrix Administrator, Koch Foods
Additionally, 10ZiG created a more Windows-like experience for Koch Foods with its transition from a legacy virtual app to a shared desktop environment.
No Subscriptions. No Surprises.
Before, Koch Foods was paying ongoing licensing costs. With 10ZiG’s perpetual licensing model and included management console, Koch Foods eliminated recurring subscription fees, making the transition to 10ZiG that much easier to say yes to.
Koch Foods Now Has Faster Performance, Lower Costs, & Happier Users
The impact was immediately felt. Applications launched instantly, shared desktops delivered a familiar Windows‑like experience, and users across the organization noticed the difference.
With centralized, license‑free management and fewer updates to juggle, the IT team reclaimed valuable time. RepurpOS allowed Koch Foods to get three to five more years out of existing devices; a major ROI win. And, modernizing their Citrix delivery model and standardizing endpoints strengthened operational consistency.
The shift to 10ZiG also improved day‑to‑day operations for teams across the organization. With fewer disruptions, faster logins, and more reliable access to applications, employees could stay focused on production, quality control, and administrative tasks without waiting on IT or troubleshooting slow devices. Consistency has been especially valuable. The combination of stability, speed, and simplicity has made the new endpoint experience a clear upgrade for both users and IT alike.
A Partnership That Delivers
For Mooney, the technology was only part of the story. The relationship mattered just as much.
“I’m really happy with the product and the partnership. They’ve been responsive, flexible, and committed to making this work for us — and our users are seeing the benefits every day.”
— Brian Mooney, Citrix Administrator, Koch Foods
Beyond responsiveness, 10ZiG’s willingness to closely collaborate with Koch Foods created a level of trust that’s rare in endpoint technology. From customizing firmware to lining up configurations with real‑world workflows, the 10ZiG team treated Koch Foods’ environment as a shared priority rather than a transactional deployment. Their hands‑on method helped the IT team move quickly, avoid unnecessary complexity, and roll out changes with confidence across multiple locations.
Just as importantly, the partnership gave Koch Foods a long‑term roadmap they could rely on. Instead of shifting licensing models or inconsistent support, the team now has a stable, predictable foundation backed by a vendor that understands their real-world constraints. For an organization where uptime and efficiency directly impact production, having a partner that shows up, listens, and adapts has been just as valuable as the technology itself. You can read the full case study here.
If you would also like to experience a partnership that delivers, contact 10ZiG today.