Racine-based InSinkErator’s recent announcement that it plans to establish operations in Kenosha is yet another boost to the strong commercial real estate market in Kenosha County.
InSinkErator will lease a 160,000-square-foot building at 5612 95th Ave. in the Business Park of Kenosha on the city’s west side. The building has been vacant for about a year and a half.
The building was previously occupied by an envelope manufacturing plant, which was acquired in 2011 by Stamford, Conn.-based Cenveo Inc. The company closed the Kenosha envelope plant in 2012, which resulted in the loss of 103 jobs.
The absorption of 160,000 square feet of space in the InSinkErator deal adds to the hot industrial real estate market in Kenosha County. Kenosha County had an industrial space vacancy rate of only 4.2 percent in the first quarter and absorbed 77,597 square feet of industrial space in the quarter, according to Xceligent. Kenosha County absorbed 1.66 million square feet of industrial space in 2013.
InSinkErator’s Kenosha facility will be located near a 34-acre site at 104th Avenue and 55th Street where Kenall Manufacturing Co. will build a new 354,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and manufacturing operation. The company will move there from Gurnee, Ill. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on Friday.
InSinkErator, a manufacturer of food waste disposers, plans to create 165 new jobs at the Kenosha facility and its existing facility in Racine. The company plans to invest $43.7 million to purchase new equipment and make renovations at its facility at 4700 21st St. in Racine.
“InSinkErator is proud to be part of both the Racine and Kenosha communities as we expand our presence and bring more jobs to southeastern Wisconsin,” said Tim Ferry, president of InSinkErator. “In the last 35 years, we’ve tripled our production at the Racine facility and we’re looking forward to continued growth with the addition of the Kenosha facility.”
The company said that the expansion will address its growing production needs at its current Racine manufacturing facility. Both facilities will manufacture a variety of products. The first production line in the Kenosha facility is expected to be operational by mid-2015.
To assist with the company’s $65 million expansion project in Racine and Kenosha, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has authorized up to $15.5 million in tax credits through 2018 through its Enterprise Zone program.
