In a business move common enough in most places but not so much in New Berlin, Wausau Equipment Company will close its manufacturing plant and corporate offices in the city before the end of the year.
The maker of municipal and airport snow removal equipment filed a letter with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in early October, informing state officials of its plans to shut down its facilities at 1905 S. Moorland Road.
It will result in the loss of jobs for 67 employees — notably welders and assemblers — on Dec. 7.
Wausau Equipment, previously called Wausau-Everest, is owned by Texas-based Alamo Group.
Reason for Wausau’s closure isn’t clear
In the letter, a formal notification that complies with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, Wausau’s group vice president of the snow and ice division, JP Bourque, did not indicate the reason for the company’s closure.
Company officials did not immediately reply to a reporter’s questions about the decision.
New Berlin officials also weren’t privy to the basis for the decision. “At times companies make business decisions in the best interest of their organization,” New Berlin Mayor Dave Ament said in an email interview.
However, at the very least, one part of Wausau Equipment’s client base, for airport equipment sales, faced significant competition in Wisconsin alone. According to a 2014 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the state-based companies at that time included Wausau, M-B Companies and Oshkosh Corp.
New Berlin officials say city remains a good place for business
For New Berlin, the pending closure was worth noting, but not to the extent that it leaves a lasting impression on the city’s economic prowess as a place for manufacturers to do business, Ament said.
“New Berlin does have a strong industrial and business partnership with our business partners. We are ranked No. 1 in size in the county and in the top three statewide” with about 1,800 gross acres of business and industrial park zoned land, Ament said, citing a recent analysis. The city’s business sectors include the New Berlin Industrial Park, Section 35, and Mill Valley areas.
The city’s relative security of its business base and opportunities is tied to multiple reasons, Ament said.
“One reason is our geographic location and easy access to major highways and routes in and out of the city, (which) makes us attractive for the industrial and business community,” he said.
Ament said New Berlin also stands out as an attractive place to live for those who prefer to remain near their jobs. A “reasonable” tax rate and the city’s available services are also factors, he added.
Whether that means New Berlin will reach out to business operatives to fill the space to be vacated by Wausau Equipment isn’t certain. But, Ament said, “We are always happy to welcome any new business who is looking at our great community.”
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
