Taiwan-based Ta Chen International Inc. plans to expand its distribution facility in Pleasant Prairie as a result of growing demand as well as a number of recent acquisitions the company has made.
The distributor of non-ferrous metals moved into its current 471,000-square-foot facility at 8500 109th Street about five years ago. It is now looking to expand with a 265,298 building addition on the eastern side of its facility, according to documents filed recently with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“We’ll be expanding our current operations, and it’s due to growth in demand as well as acquisition,” Rick Barbitta, a branch manager with Ta Chen, said.
Barbitta noted that over the last four years or so, Ta Chen has acquired companies such as other aluminum distributors, a domestic stainless pipe and tubing manufacturer and an aluminum mill, which was purchased earlier this year. The acquisitions have added product lines for Ta Chen, which means the Pleasant Prairie facility needs more space for them.
The building addition is expected to break ground in the next month or so, with the project anticipated to be completed by the end of this year or the first quarter of 2020.
Ta Chen has about 65 office and warehouse employees at its Pleasant Prairie location, Barbitta said. The expansion might lead to a few new jobs there, though nothing is final yet, he added.
The Ta Chen facility was developed by a joint venture of Milwaukee-based Wispark LLC and Oak Brook, Ill.-based CenterPoint Properties. Barbitta said his company within the last six to 12 months started talking with contractors about adding onto the facility.
Itasca, Illinois-based FCL Builders is the general contractor on the project, Cornerstone Architects Ltd., also of Itasca, is the project architect and Brookfield-based Pinnacle Engineering Group is providing design and construction services. CenterPoint is the property landlord, Barbitta said.
