Menomonee Fall-based Kohl’s Corp. continues to execute a strategy of expanding its corporate headquarters by purchasing existing nearby buildings rather than building new.
Kohl’s recently purchased a pair of buildings from Ultra Tool and Manufacturing Inc., a 31,720-square-foot building at W168 N5900 Ridgewood Dr. for $1.74 million, and a 42,746-square-foot building at W169 N5954 Ridgewood Dr. for $2.35 million, according to state records.
“These buildings will house operational functions in the short term, and will allow for potential expansion in the future,” said Kohl’s spokeswoman Kristen Cunningham.
The two properties have a total of 7.7 acres and are located just north of Kohl’s corporate headquarters at N56 W17000 Ridgewood Dr.
Ultra Tool and Manufacturing plans to move its operations to Germantown, where it purchased the former Forrer Supply facility at W194 N11811 McCormick Dr. Ultra Tool and Manufacturing plans to expand the 41,800-square-foot facility, increasing it to 84,820 square feet.
Kohl’s had planned to build a $250 million, 900,000-square-foot second corporate campus in the Woodland Prime office park in Menomonee Falls, but dropped those plans last year.
Instead of building a new corporate campus, Kohl’s in late 2013 purchased two buildings in Menomonee Falls to help meet its expansion needs: the 300,000-square-foot former InnoWare building at W165 N5830 Ridgewood Dr., which the company bought for $15.2 million; and the 28,000-square-foot former ProHealth Care medical building at W165 N5595 Creekwood Crossing, which the company bought for $2.5 million. The company bought the former InnoWare building to house its IT workers and it bought the former ProHealth Care building to be used as an employee wellness center and fitness facility.
Also, last year the company acquired the 53,000-square-foot 800 Woodland Prime building at W127 N7564 Flint Dr. in the Woodland Prime office park in Menomonee Falls, about 4.5 miles from its headquarters.
Earlier this year the company bought a vacant 6 acre site on Davian Drive, near the Kohl’s headquarters, for $1.25 million.
Kohl’s now has nearly a dozen facilities in Menomonee Falls and on the far northwest side of Milwaukee.