The opening of Milwaukee Tool’s hand-tool manufacturing facility in the West Bend Manufacturing Center was big news this summer. Milwaukee Tool invested $55 million, created 150 jobs and is already making plans for future expansion. According to Tim Albrecht, President of Hand Tools, Storage & PPE for Milwaukee Tool, the West Bend Manufacturing Center provided the right blend of location, industrial park amenities, and most importantly, a strong pipeline of talent provided by the City of West Bend community.
“Wisconsin has been our company’s home for nearly 100 years, we’re thrilled to continue our growth here in West Bend where we’ve been able to recruit some of the best talent in the country.”
– Tim Albrecht, President of Hand Tools, Storage & PPE, Milwaukee Tool
Why West Bend?
The new West Bend Manufacturing Center is a state-of-the art industrial park located in the City of West Bend—a growing community of 32,000 located 30 minutes north of Milwaukee in Washington County. West Bend offers all the amenities of a large city yet is known for its warm and welcoming small town charm. It has a thriving historic downtown with unique businesses, shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions. Residents and visitors have access to over 1,200 acres of award-winning parks and trails, quality healthcare, exceptional housing, and top-tier K-12 and college-level educational opportunities.
The City of West Bend works on an ongoing basis with EDWC to keep a pulse on workforce demand and development. West Bend’s population is growing at a rate of 2.4% year over year, attracting new residents and skilled laborers. EDWC’s reporting shows that the City of West Bend outpaces the national average when it comes to available workforce with a variety of skill sets. As your business grows, the City of West Bend will grow with you, keeping your workforce pipeline full.
A Range of Housing Options
The City of West Bend offers several multifamily developments to meet the increasing housing needs of its growing population. Trail’s Edge apartments opened this summer and is welcoming residents to its 120-unit market-rate apartment complex located on the Eisenbahn State Trail overlooking the Milwaukee River. Additionally, development of The District is underway, which will provide 177 luxury apartments and townhomes on three acres lining the Downtown Riverwalk. Its commercial space will soon be home to 1840 Brewing Company’s taproom and coffee shop—providing another downtown hotspot for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Booming Retail Development
The City of West Bend is a sub-regional economic hub for commercial retail development. It draws visitors from throughout southeast Wisconsin to shop and dine. Commercial development currently taking place the City of West Bend includes Dunham’s Sports, Sierra, HomeGoods, Old Navy, Ross Dress for Less, Big Lots, Five Below, Chipotle, Panera Bread, and more opening by the end of the year.
The West Bend Manufacturing Center is Shovel Ready
The West Bend Manufacturing Center offers a unique opportunity for companies to grow. The City of West Bend owns the industrial park, is broker friendly, offers fast-track development plan approvals, and negotiates win-win tax incremental financing deals.
The West Bend Manufacturing Center has 133 acres of fully-customizable, shovel-ready land, including 10-100+ acre parcels. The industrial park is outfitted with high-capacity sewer and water within the newly-constructed Forge Place, electric and gas utilities, and shared retention ponds—all ready to support new construction.
The West Bend Manufacturing Center is conveniently situated near major highways, is only one mile from a rail yard, and is served by both a municipal airport and Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International airport. Best yet, it has the full support of the business-friendly government of the City West Bend.
Currently priced at $55,000 per acre, the West Bend Manufacturing Center offers flexible land development from 10-acre lots up to 100 acres. Additional details, including access to site maps, photos and drone videos are available here www.ci.west-bend.wi.us/wbmc.
You can use our Site Selection tool to search for available parcels.
