Bloomington, Ill.-based Fire Safety Sales Inc. plans to move its corporate headquarters to the Historic Third Ward in Milwaukee.
The company plans to move its corporate office to 311 E. Chicago St., Suite 500. The company currently has five employees and plans to have 18-25 employees there within the next three years of operations.
Fire Safety Sales is a startup company that has been existence for about a year and a half. It is a sales, marketing and distribution company offering a range of fire suppression products and systems to commercial, industrial, government and residential customers.
“Most of (the company’s) work so far has been laying the groundwork,” said chief executive officer Alex Antonio. “We’re now in position to break out and actively start putting forth our marketing strategy.”
Fire Safety Sales is being funded with foreign investors through the federal government’s EB-5 program, which provides green cards to foreign investors that provide funding in American ventures that create jobs.
Milwaukee-based FirstPathway Partners, which has its office at 311 E. Chicago St., Suite 510, is providing the EB-5 funding for First Safety Sales. FirstPathway chairman, CEO, and founding partner Robert Kraft has formed FS Milwaukee LLC, which will use EB-5 funds to acquire Fire Safety Sales, Antonio said. FirstPathway’s involvement is the reason the company will move to Milwaukee, he said.
FS Milwaukee LLC this week received approval for a $1.2 million loan from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. for startup capital and relocation cost for Fire Safety Sales Inc. The MEDC financing will be a bridge loan for First Safety Sales, which will be paid off in 10 to 14 months, Antonio said.
