Master Z’s planning new store at former Laacke & Joys site on Bluemound

Patio and rec room retailer Master Z’s plans to open a second location in March at the former Laacke & Joys LLC store site on Bluemound Road in the Town of Brookfield.

Master Z’s, which operates its store and headquarters in Waukesha at 1005 Spring City Drive, announced via email today that its new store will be located at 19233 W. Bluemound Road, which is the former Laacke & Joys location.

Laacke & Joys had long occupied the building before closing its flagship outdoor equipment store on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The closure came as the company decided to shutter its retail operations after 175 years. Its manufacturing division remains operational.

The former Laacke & Joys store property was recently sold for $3.3 million to an entity affiliate with Master Z’s co-owner Scott Stollenwerk, according to state records. 

The 3.4-acre site has two connected buildings with a total of 27,000 square feet of space. A 17,000-square-foot building was built in 1973 and a 10,000-square-foot building was built in 1985.

State records show the property was purchased by Pewaukee-based Bluemound W. 19233 LLC, which is registered Scott Stollenwerk, the president and co-owner of Master Z’s. Stollenwerk is also the chief executive officer of Petra Health LLC and Guardian HealthStaff LLC.

Marianne Burish of Transwestern brokered the property sale for the seller, McFarland-based Brookwater LLC, whose registered agent is Mary Hertel.

When asked about the deal, Stollenwerk said the Master Z’s store will occupy one of the former Laacke & Joys buildings on Bluemound and the other will be leased to another tenant. Stollenwerk said the lease deal is not yet finalized and details are still being worked out, but it is “highly likely” that it will happen. 

“We’re really pleased that we had the opportunity to purchase that building, and are looking forward to it and what we can do with it,” he said.

Stollenwerk, along with longtime Master Z’s general manager Rob Kahler and local investor Michael Baudo, purchased Master Z’s last year from former owner Jim Lindenberg.

Laacke & Joys wrapped up its liquidation sale on Jan. 15 and its lease for the Brookfield building lasts until Jan. 31.