Spanish train maker Talgo Inc. plans to add 63 more jobs at its Century City facility on Milwaukee’s northwest side, company chief executive officer Antonio Perez announced Thursday during a news conference.
In May, Talgo’s joint venture with Paris-based engineering and consulting firm Systra was awarded a $138.9 million overhaul contract by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority. The base contract is for 50 Bombardier rail cars currently operated by Metrolink with an option for up to 71 additional cars.
Work is scheduled to begin next month on the first five “pilot cars” that recently arrived at the 59,000-square-foot factory.
In addition to increasing its employee base from 27 to 90, Talgo also announced plans Thursday to immediately take over the 40,000-square-foot building on the east side of its current facility. And depending on the success of the Metrolink project, the company will consider expanding into the north and south “wings” of the building, adding an additional 70,000 square feet.
Perez said the plans for expansion are about workforce sustainability.
“The last thing we want to do is train people and find workers, and then slow down,” he said.
Perez and city officials both discussed the importance of hiring workers from the surrounding central city community, the primary goal for the city’s revitalization efforts to create the Century City Business Park over the past decade.
Progress on those redevelopment efforts is finally being made.
Franklin-based Strauss Brands LLC announced last week that it plans to build a new 175,000-square-foot headquarters and meat processing operation in the business park near West Hopkins Street and West Capitol Drive.
Also, Milwaukee-based Good City Brewing recently moved office and warehouse operations there after buying the 53,000-square-foot Century City One industrial building at North Capital Drive and North Hopkins Street. The company occupies the southern portion of the building and has made the rest of the space available to other tenants.
Talgo’s overhaul work on the Metrolink cars at Century City, which includes remodeling restrooms, updating HVAC systems, installing new seat cushions and flooring, and updating communications systems, will take about 12 to 14 months to complete. After that, batches of five cars will be circulated every 90 days, with delivery of the 50th car in April 2023.
