Glenn Rieder Inc. plans to relocate from Milwaukee’s 30th Street Industrial Corridor to a new $8 million facility that the company plans to build in West Allis, with the help of an incentive package from that city.
The provider of architectural millwork and custom interior finishes says it has outgrown its facility at 3420 W. Capitol Drive and will build a 120,000-square-foot manufacturing and office facility on a 12-acre remediated brownfield site at 1960 S. 67th Place in West Allis.
Construction on the project will begin in April and the company hopes to be done with the project by December of next year.
“We are very excited to partner with the City of West Allis to design and build a new 90,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with 30,000 square feet of office space to house our main headquarters,” said Mike Floyd, Glenn Rieder chief executive officer.
The company has more than 240 employees, with 84 currently based in the Milwaukee area. The expansion is expected to result in additional hiring, but Floyd said it is too soon to have precise figures.
“Cutting-edge, creative, and growing companies like Glenn Rieder are a prime example of the type of companies that are drawn to the momentum we are seeing in West Allis,” said Mayor Dan Devine.
Floyd declined to provide specifics on the incentive package offered by West Allis, citing pending approvals by the Common Council and Community Development Authority.
“The city was very aggressive in offering an incentive package to help us with the project,” he said, describing it as “progressive” and “creative.”
Floyd said the company looked at other municipalities and the possibility of an addition at its current facility. Glenn Rieder has been in business since 1946 and located on Capitol Drive since 1988. The current facility is 92,000 square feet, but is located on an almost 3-acre lot, limiting expansion possibilities.
The company plans to sell its current facility once the move is complete.
Glenn Rieder’s move is a blow for efforts to revitalize Milwaukee’s 30th Street Industrial Corridor. The city of Milwaukee has spent millions of dollars redeveloping the former A.O. Smith/Tower Automotive property into the Century City business park near 31st and Capitol Drive. The area has had some momentum recently with the completion of the first spec building, the return of Talgo and Rev Group’s decision to do final assembly of postal delivery vehicle prototypes.
“We remain big supporters of the corridor,” Floyd said. “We’ve been a big part of the community in this area for a long time so it was a long and difficult decision to make.”
He noted the new facility will allow Glenn Rieder to create a modern manufacturing facility and bring its office departments closer together.
“At the end of the day it was a decision based on growth,” Floyd said.
