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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Dutch-Based WILA USA Relocates-Plans Jefferson County, Kentucky, Headquarters-Manufacturing

06/15/2023
Dutch-based WILA USA, a producer of tooling systems for sheet metals, plans to relocate its North American headquarters and establish manufacturing operations in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The $11.5 million project is expected to create 24 jobs.

The new facility will be located in an existing 52,000-square-foot building and will allow the company to enhance its customer service capabilities and strengthen relationships with existing and prospective clients in North America while reducing lead times, increasing flexibility and delivering tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of the region’s manufacturing sector.

“We are excited to relocate our corporate headquarters to Louisville and establish our North American manufacturing operations,” said Hans Willemsen, CEO of WILA. “This strategic move will allow us to strengthen our market presence, improve customer service and further collaborate with our valued partners in North America. We are confident that our investment in Louisville will accelerate our growth and enable us to better serve the evolving needs of our customers.”

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in March 2023 preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $675,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $11.56 million and annual targets of creation and maintenance of 24 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years, and paying an average hourly wage of $42.77 including benefits across those jobs.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

“It’s no secret why companies continue to choose to locate their business here in the commonwealth,” noted Governor Andy Beshear. “Kentucky’s business-friendly environment and talented workforce make it an ideal option for any company seeking to improve access to their consumer base and increase competitiveness within their market. I want to thank WILA USA’s leadership team for trusting Kentucky to be home to their North American headquarters and manufacturing operation. I look forward to watching their success in the commonwealth for many years to come.”

In addition, WILA USA can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

“By leveraging our key industries, we are able to create the perfect value proposition for international companies like WILA that are looking to do business in the U.S.,” added Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Our 110-year-old history of auto manufacturing and a robust talent pool paired with our reputation as a world-class logistics hub make Louisville the perfect place for these headquarter operations. We are excited to add WILA USA to the growing list of automotive manufacturing businesses that call Louisville home and continue to strengthen our advanced manufacturing ecosystem.”

Founded in 1932, WILA is a global Dutch-based company that specializes in clamping, crowning and tooling systems for press brakes and distributing them to end users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world. The company employs 350 people across their two factories in the Netherlands and subsidiaries in the U.S. and China.

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