West Milwaukee-based industrial services company Hennes Services has acquired Oak Creek-based welding company Interstate Erecting Inc.
The deal closed on Wednesday and included the acquisition of Interstate Erecting’s assets and intellectual property.
Interstate Erecting’s owners were planning for retirement and approached Hennes to ensure its new owner would maintain the business and attempt to keep all of its current staff employed, said Josh Lang, president of Hennes Services.
In addition, Hennes’ is expanding into the former Ward Manufacturing facility located at 1900 S. 89th St. in West Allis. That comes after the company decided it needed more storage and fabrication space several years ago.
Hennes’ sister company, Chilstrom Erecting, with which it shares its West Milwaukee headquarters, is in the process of purchasing the West Allis building, which it will lease to Hennes as part of the deal.
Hennes is currently waiting on occupancy and financing but expects the deal to close within 30 days, Lang said.
The new facility will more than double the company’s southeastern Wisconsin footprint. The 70,000-square-foot former Ward Manufacturing building, which closed in 2024 after the company was acquired a few months prior, will add to Hennes Services' existing real estate which includes the 65,000-square-foot headquarters building at 4100 W. Lincoln Ave.
“With the industrial property market being short supply and high demand, it’s been difficult to find a location that is suitable,” Lang said. “This new location is near our existing operations and will allow us to more than triple the space we currently have allocated for storage needs, allowing us to increase the ability to provide this service to more customers.”
The building will be sold for $2.4 million.
After making a few minor changes, Hennes hopes to begin using the space for storage in August and have its steel fabrication fully operational by September.
Hennes Services is a family-owned industrial service company that provides machinery moving, rigging, crane rental, welding and fabrication, industrial storage, and commercial and industrial HVAC services.
“These recent developments are going to expand our presence in the Milwaukee region and the state as a whole, allowing us to continue offering our unparalleled level of service to our customers well into the future,” Lang said.
