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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

The Ariens Plans R&D Complex in Brillion, Wisconsin

12/19/2018
The Ariens Co. plans to renovate the Farm Implement Building at former Iron Works plant in Brillion, Wisconsin. The company will turn the facility into a new research and development facility for the company.

According to Wisconsin Economic Development, the research and development facility will support Ariens’ operations, engineering and supply chain operations, 25 miles south of Green Bay.

As an incentive the City of Brillion is supporting the renovation of Plant 3 on the site with construction of a new roadway and a bridge crossing; remaining structures on the iron works site will be demolished. The City of Brillion committed to providing $3 million in tax incremental financing for the project.

In a major step in the redevelopment of the former Brillion Iron Works site, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced the City of Brillion is receiving a $500,000 grant to help finance demolition work on the site.

Brillion Iron Works, which closed in 2016, was founded in 1890 as a manufacturer of hand and farm tools; it moved to the current site in 1900, when a foundry was constructed there. The Brillion Iron Works site consists of several buildings that have been home to numerous companies since the early 1900s.

The city plans to redevelop the entire 145-acre parcel in two phases. The WEDC grant is for the first phase, a 70-acre parcel on the south side of the site that was acquired by the Ariens Co. in October. The first phase has a $10 million budget. Work is now underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

Officials expect phase one to be a catalyst for the second phase of the project, which is expected to consist of housing, commercial and retail development, as well as green space and a trail network along Spring and Mills creeks.

“We are very honored to receive this grant and are excited about the opportunities this grant gives to the City of Brillion and the Ariens Co. to redevelop the Brillion Iron Works property,” said Brillion Mayor Gary Deiter. “We are very fortunate to have the support of the Ariens Co. for this project; without them it would not have been possible.”

“Eighteen months ago, Brillion was facing what looked like a devastating blight on the heart of this community,” said Dan Ariens, Chairman & CEO of the Ariens Co. “Today, this grant from the WEDC will be a catalyst to create momentum around a new vision for the Brillion community and demonstrate the potential to others who might have an interest in joining us on this journey. I’d like to thank the WEDC for supporting this community in achieving its vision.”

“I applaud the City of Brillion, the Ariens Co. and other partners for working together to redevelop what is now an underutilized parcel and transform it into a facility that will play a key role in the future of the city’s leading employer,” said Mark R. Hogan, secretary & CEO of WEDC. “This revitalization project will increase the city’s tax base, remove an eyesore in the community, and create new jobs as Ariens continues to grow.”

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