EDA’s Investment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Industrial Park

An industrial park in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has created and retained over 1,100 jobs and has spurred $106 million in private investment thanks in part to a $1.87 million EDA infrastructure investment.

The grant, along with an equal amount of local matching funds, allowed for the construction of approximately 3,000 feet of roadway and installation of over 8,000 feet of sanitary and storm sewer mains, both to improve the 100-acre industrial park.

When the EDA assistance application was submitted in 2005, the city of Milwaukee needed to replace a steady loss of high-wage manufacturing jobs, especially in its food processing sector.

Unfortunately, the type of large-lot, fully-improved “greenfield” sites needed by these types of employer facilities and operations was in short supply. The city and its Redevelopment Corporation owned the 100-acre industrial park property, but its internal roadway system was minimal, and it lacked adequate storm and sanitary sewer service. The city needed to provide those improvements to the industrial park in order to retain its existing occupants, and to attract new manufacturing employers to the site.

Estimated job creation with the submitted EDA assistance application have been exceeded. The sources of employment and private investment impacts have been from firms such as pipe fabricator JF Ahern; cold-finished steel products manufacturer Charter Wire; engine testing and diagnostic meters company Taylor Dynometer; energy conversion products manufacturer Ingeteam; and frozen pizza company Palermo Villa.