Pressure washer manufacturer FNA Group Inc. recently announced that it is relocating its corporate headquarters from Elk Grove Village, Ill., to Pleasant Prairie.
The headquarters will be located in a $3 million, 176,000-square-foot industrial facility in the LakeView Corporate Park. The facility, which opened earlier this year, will also serve as a manufacturing and distribution facility. At least 165 jobs are expected to be created, according to the company.
“I would like to welcome FNA to Wisconsin, and I applaud the company for once again showing its commitment to growing in the state,” said Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who joined company and local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. “Just last week, a national survey of CEOs ranked Wisconsin as the 12th best state in the nation to do business – and we’ve seen a big jump in the rankings over the last four years. That’s a clear sign that company executives all over the country are becoming more aware that Wisconsin is a great place in which to start or grow a business.”
“All of us at FNA Group are impressed by the manner in which state and local officials worked independently and together from day one,” said Gus Alexander, president and chief executive officer of FNA Group and OEM Solutions. “They did everything within their power to help us solve our challenges. And we are all extremely proud to call Pleasant Prairie our new home.”
According to FNA spokesman Jack Pariseau, Pleasant Prairie was selected as the new corporate headquarters site because FNA needed to expand its facilities.
“Pleasant Prairie allows us a great opportunity for controlled growth over the next several years,” he said.
Besides jobs, Pariseau said FNA’s move to Pleasant Prairie will result in “spending with local vendors.”
In December, FNA announced it was locating part of its OEM Industries Division operations, which manufactures hoses and distributes pumps and replacement parts, from Arkansas to Pleasant Prairie. The company selected Wisconsin after taking part in a site selection process that involved numerous states.
In addition to housing the company’s corporate offices, the facility will enable FNA to manufacture new products, accommodate demand for existing products, and establish a research and development/engineering/product development center.
To support the company’s move and the creation of new jobs, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has authorized FNA to receive up to $700,000 in state tax credits. The actual amount of credits awarded will be contingent upon the number of jobs created.
The Kenosha Area Business Alliance is providing the company with a $1 million loan funded through a combination of revolving loan funds, including one that originated with a contribution from Pleasant Prairie’s Tax Incremental Finance District #2.
“Near the end of 2014, the village welcomed the FNA Group to Pleasant Prairie as a new and growing business,” said Pleasant Prairie Village President John Steinbrink. “With the announcement that FNA will now move its corporate headquarters to Pleasant Prairie, the village is absolutely thrilled. We have a great deal of respect for the businesses that locate in our community and deeply appreciate this display of confidence in our region.”
Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser added: “We’re excited about the investment the FNA Group has made in Pleasant Prairie and its decision to now relocate its headquarters here. We have been preparing for this announcement for years with the investments we’ve made in LakeView Corporate Park, our infrastructure and amenities as well as the steps we’ve taken to make Kenosha County attractive to businesses. We are happy to see the results of these actions and welcome the FNA Group to the community.”
