The expansion of global construction equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson’s Menomonee Falls plant by almost 20 percent is under way, but the company has yet to publicly announce how many new jobs will be created by the project.
Wacker Neuson is adding 97,000 square feet to its 430,000-square-foot facility at N92W15000 Anthony Ave., and has future expansions planned for that location.
The Plan Commission on Tuesday approved the creation of a tax incremental district to help fund the expansion project. Crews need to blast through high bedrock for the project, which has created high upfront costs associated with precision blasting and rock crushing.
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The village will provide Wacker Neuson with an initial grant to cover the blasting and crushing costs. Secondly, the village will provide a municipal revenue obligation for the company. Basically, the company will pay back the the prinicpal on the obligation through the increased tax values generated from the project.
The village approved the expansion project itself last month. Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald said the plant has been located in the industrial area south of County Line Road in between Pilgrim Road and State Road 145 for at least ten years.
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The first part of the project, site preparation, has already started, Fitzgerald said.
“There’s a lot of rock crushing that needs to be done first,” he said. Around 100,000 cubic yards of bedrock needs to be removed, Fitzgerald said.
About 360 workers are employed at the Menomonee Falls plant. Fitzgerald did not want to speculate as to the number of new jobs the expansion will create. He expects Wacker Neuson will make that announcement soon. Calls to Wacker Neuson have not been returned.