Johnsonville LLC has bought the 200,000-square-foot facility in Sheboygan that is currently home to sock maker
Wigwam Mills.
The facility at 3402 Crocker Ave. is located on 16 acres and has an assessed value of a little more than $2.8 million. Johnsonville paid $8 million for the property, according to state records.
In May, Wigwam announced it would
cut 121 of its 142 positions after seeing its orders dramatically limited by the coronavirus. While the company has been making products in the U.S. since 1905, its fourth-generation family owners decided to partner with other domestic manufacturers instead of making their own products.
Johnsonville will lease the building back to Wigwam through the end of 2020 while the company relocates to leased space in the former Franzen Graphics along Highway 42.
Next year, Johnsonville plans to begin work to adapt the current Wigwam facility for sausage manufacturing with operations expected to start in early 2022.
The additional space will be used to expand Johnsonville’s cooking innovations and produce more fully cooked sausage products. The company said that segment has seen strong growth in recent years and is exceeding the capacity of its main campus near Sheboygan Falls.
