Milwaukee-based frozen pizza manufacturer Palermo’s is growing once again with plans to build a 200,000-square-foot production facility at the former Froedtert Malt site in West Milwaukee.
The new production facility will be built at 3900 W. Lincoln Ave., just three miles from the company’s headquarters on Canal Street in the Menomonee Valley. Approximately 50 jobs will be added with the addition of the West Milwaukee plant, according to a Monday announcement from Palermo’s.
“Our priority is to keep market competitive jobs local and that means growth at our company headquarters on Canal Street in Milwaukee, continuing to increase capacity at our recently added Jefferson, Wisconsin facility, and now the development in West Milwaukee,” said Giacomo Fallucca, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Palermo’s. “The 50 new positions we will be creating are skilled labor roles which require specific training and are key roles in our manufacturing process. They are in line with our current manufacturing positions and provide market competitive wages.”
The Lincoln Avenue site was first home to Froedtert Malt & Grain, founded in 1875 by Jacob and William Froedtert. The company moved to near 38th and Grant streets in West Milwaukee in 1920. It closed in the early 2000s before being bought by Malteurop in 2008.
Last April, Dickman Development pitched a plan to replace the former site with a $28.2 million, 270,000-square foot industrial complex. Submitted plans showed existing structures on the site would be razed and replaced with two industrial facilities.
Groundbreaking on the new Palermo’s production facility is scheduled for this August and the anticipated completion date in June 2025.
“This new state-of-the-art food production facility being proposed for the old Froedtert Malt/Malteurop site on Lincoln Avenue would be a welcome addition to the industrial base of West Milwaukee pending approvals by the Plan Commission, CDA, and Village Board,” said John Stalewski, president of the village of West Milwaukee.
Palermo’s also recently began a project to expand parking lots at the company’s headquarters at 3301 W. Canal St. The 12,200 square feet of additional parking space will support recent growth and employee needs.
“The parking lot expansion help us address the needs of our current employee base which has grown to provide jobs for over 1,200 people. This expansion set us up for future growth opportunities at our headquarters on Canal Street,” said Angelo Fallucca, president of Palermo’s. “We continue to see demand for our pizzas increase and are being proactive to meet future needs.”
In September, Palermo’s began production at the former Tyson Foods processing plant in Jefferson, where it said it would create more than 200 jobs and produce 50 million frozen pizzas a year.
