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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Racine Railroad Products Expands Facility In Racine, Wisconsin

06/18/2012
A manufacturer of railroad maintenance equipment, Racine Railroad Products, Inc., will expand its manufacturing capabilities by moving into a new facility in the Village of Mount Pleasant at 1955 Norwood Court, creating more than 32 new jobs.

Racine Railroad's President Stephen Birkholz said "demand for Racine Railroad Products has shifted from smaller equipment to larger single-operator railway maintenance equipment. Our former facility configuration on Frederick Street could not provide adequate assembly room for both the large and small machine assembly. Racine County has been our home since our establishment in 1970 and we are very pleased to keep our business here."

"The combined effort of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Village of Mount Pleasant and Racine Workforce Development Corporation kept this expansion in our borders," said Paul Jadin, CEO and Secretary of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

As the company began planning for its future growth, it became clear that its current facility in the village would not accommodate the increased space needs, the state economic development official said. Several options were considered, including expanding the current facility as well as relocating to buildings in Northern Illinois and Milwaukee County. However the company preferred to stay in Racine County, given that many of its suppliers and employees live in Racine County. The issue of finding a building with the appropriate amount of space and crane infrastructure became a challenge.

The decision to expand in Racine County was based on the incentive packages extended by the State of Wisconsin, Village of Mount Pleasant and the Racine County Workforce Development Board. The incentive package included $620,000 in tax credits through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to support the capital investment and job creation by the company. Additionally, the Racine County Workforce Development Board will provide $49,000 in job training grants and the Village of Mount Pleasant will provide a total of $300,000 in tax reinvestment program financing assistance.

"The Village is pleased that Racine Railroad has chosen the Village of Mount Pleasant as its expansion location allowing the company to retain its 40 employees and add an additional 32. This project is another example of State and local partners working well with private business to retain and increase employment opportunities," said Carolyn Milkie, Village President.

Racine County Executive Jim Ladwig indicated that "the project is another example of Racine County's locational advantages in the Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor. Access to suppliers and customers, a high quality transportation system and a productive labor force make Racine County a prime location in the Corridor for business development."

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