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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

OEM Industries Division of FNA Group Establishes Operations Hub In Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

12/03/2014
The OEM Industries Division of FNA Group Inc., which manufactures pressure washers for home and industrial markets, is establishing a new manufacturing, distribution and R&D facility as part of a $3 million project expected to create more than 100 new jobs in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.

The Illinois-based company will occupy a 176,000-square-foot industrial facility in the LakeView Corporate Park in Pleasant Prairie that will enable it to manufacture new products, accommodate demand for existing products, and establish an R&D/engineering/product development center. The company is expected to begin operations in January.

The FNA Group will relocate part of its OEM Industries Division operations, which manufactures hoses and distributes pumps and replacement parts, from an existing facility in Arkansas to Pleasant Prairie. The company selected Wisconsin after taking part in a site selection process that involved numerous states.

“We are excited for the opportunity to expand the operations of our OEM Industries Division to accommodate continued growth and demand within our customer base for high-pressure cleaning solutions, OEM parts, and high-pressure hoses,” said Gus Alexander, Founder/CEO/President of FNA Group. “Likewise, this allows us to free up manufacturing space we desperately need in our existing manufacturing facility in Arkansas. Now we’ll be able to accommodate our immediate and growing demand for more and better high pressure power washers for our consumer and industrial customers.”

As an incentive, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is supporting the company’s efforts by authorizing up to $700,000 in state tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of credits awarded will be contingent upon the number of jobs created.

In addition, the state Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and regional workforce partners also have offered to assist the FNA Group with talent recruitment assistance, such as workforce training and conducting hiring events. Local partners include Gateway Technical College, Kenosha County Job Center and Kenosha Area Business Alliance. KABA is providing the company with a $1 million loan funded through a combination of revolving loan funds, including one that originated with a contribution from Pleasant Prairie’s Tax Incremental Finance District #2.

The company plans to create more than 100 full-time jobs in early 2015 in addition to providing seasonal employment opportunities. Additional job creation is expected in the future based on demand for the company’s products.

“After a multi-state search for a site for its new facility, FNA’s decision to locate its newest facility in Wisconsin speaks volumes about the state’s pro-business climate and outstanding workforce,” said Governor Scott Walker. “This is yet another indication of the confidence that job creators have in the direction in which the state is headed.”

“This project is a great example of the importance of developing strong partnerships when it comes to economic development,” said Reed Hall, Secretary/CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “The state, the county, the technical college and other partners are working together to ensure that FNA has a long and successful future in Wisconsin.”

“Kenosha County is establishing itself as a premier place to do business in the Midwest,” said Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser. “We have a strong team that works together with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Governor Walker and his administration to create a climate which businesses are relocating to and expanding in, and they are thriving. We welcome FNA to Kenosha County and look forward to partnering with them to build a prosperous and successful future here.”

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