Prestige Metal Products has chosen an 85,630-square-foot building in the Bristol Business Park in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, as the new site for its metal fabrication operations and company headquarters. The project, located at 19241 83rd St. in the Village of Bristol, will bring 46 jobs to the area and represents a $2.5 million investment for the company, which is now based in Antioch, Illinois.
“The support from the community has been overwhelming,” said John Annessi, owner of Prestige Metal. “First, the Kenosha Area Business Alliance – who then introduced us to the Milwaukee 7 and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Everyone treated us like we were the next Amazon. We are very grateful and excited to be here in Wisconsin.”
“Prestige Metal’s decision to relocate to Wisconsin is great news for Kenosha County and the entire state,” said Governor Scott Walker. “We continue to see more companies establish or expand operations in Wisconsin because of the pro-business policies we’ve implemented over the last six years. I congratulate the company for making the move and appreciate their commitment to Wisconsin.”
“We welcome Prestige Metals to Bristol and are excited to have new jobs and investment coming into the community,” said Village of Bristol Administrator Randy Kerkman. “A successful manufacturer like Prestige Metals is a great addition to our diverse roster of businesses and a testament to the fact that Bristol is a great place to live, play and do business.”
Prestige Metal, which was founded in 1945, is relocating to a building that has been vacant for several years. Home City Ice will be an additional tenant in the building, leasing 15,000 square feet.
“In Kenosha County, vacant buildings typically don’t stay vacant for very long and I’m glad to see this site be put back into use,” said County Executive Jim Kreuser. “Prestige Metal is a company with a long, successful history, and Kenosha County is excited to welcome them and partner with them for their next 70 years.”
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) awarded the company with up to $165,000 in state tax credits over the next three years to support the project. The actual amount of credits the company receives is contingent upon the number of jobs created during that time. The Milwaukee 7 (M7) regional economic development group and the Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) also helped Prestige with the relocation.
“We are pleased to welcome Prestige Metal Products to southeastern Wisconsin,” said Jim Paetsch, vice president of corporate expansion and attraction for M7. “The company’s decision to relocate to Wisconsin is yet another affirmation of our attractiveness as a destination for manufacturing investment. Our assets uniquely support companies like Prestige and we look forward to seeing the company grow in our region.”
In addition to existing Prestige workers who are expected to begin working in Bristol, the company expects to fill up to 10 positions, including press break setup operators, experienced sheet metal fabricators, and laser operators.
Interested candidates may email jobs@prestigemetals.com for more information.
About Prestige Metals
Prestige Metals provides custom sheet metal fabrication services, specializing in stainless steel products. Prestige primarily serves the food processing equipment manufacturing industry as well as the pharmaceutical, food service, railroad, water treatment and transportation, industrial equipment, manufacturing and power generation industries. The company also offers contract manufacturing and assembly.
Annessi began working at Prestige shortly after graduating high school. He had applied for a manufacturing position but as none were available at the time, he was hired on as a janitor. He worked his way up through various manufacturing and supervisory positions and ultimately purchased the company in 2013.
Prestige Metal Products is the latest company to expand or establish operations in Kenosha County. Since 2013, those projects have resulted in 6,500 jobs and nearly $1.25 billion in capital investment.
About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network. Visit www.inwisconsin.com or follow WEDC on Twitter @_InWisconsin to learn more.
About the Kenosha Area Business Alliance
The Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) is Kenosha County’s economic development organization and employers association. KABA provides a range of economic development and business services to its nearly 400 member investors and to prospective members as well. Visit www.kaba.org to learn more.