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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

J.W. Speaker Expands Germantown, Wisconsin, Operations

06/11/2018
J.W. Speaker, a specialty lighting manufacturer, is expanding its manufacturing facility by an additional 140,000 square feet in Germantown, Wisconsin. The expansion is part of a $46 million project expected to create 100 new jobs over the next three years.

“Despite the already healthy Wisconsin business environment, we found the state and local funding agencies very welcoming and supportive of our expansion plans,” said Jamie Speaker, co-president of J.W. Speaker.

Founded in 1935 by John W. Speaker, the company has grown from manufacturing small tire repair kits to making high-performance vehicular lighting solutions for original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket customers around the world.

WEDC is supporting the project by authorizing up to $450,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of Greater tax credits J.W. Speaker will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.

The expansion will provide the company flexibility for its current operations, help alleviate capacity constraints, and allow for additional expansion in the future, state officials said. This proposal is the largest and most transformational project the company has undertaken at a single time. J.W. Speaker is committed to continuing its growth in Wisconsin, and state and local incentives played a critical role in securing project approval.

“I congratulate J.W. Speaker on this major expansion and commend the company for its continued investment in the state of Wisconsin,” said Mark R. Hogan, Secretary & CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the state’s lead economic development organization. “This project further strengthens the Milwaukee area’s economy and opens up new opportunities for workers throughout the region.”

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