Company is latest to invest in Kenosha County

MADISON–Governor Tony Evers today joined the owner and president of Advent Tool & Manufacturing, Inc., as well as local government and economic development officials, to announce that Advent is relocating its headquarters and production operation from Antioch, Illinois, to the new Salem Industrial Park, located in the Village of Salem Lakes.

“This is great news for the Village of Salem Lakes and the southeast region of Wisconsin, bringing new opportunities to folks and communities in our state,” said Governor Evers. “I want to thank Advent, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the Milwaukee 7 (M7), and all the local officials for their critically important work in making this happen. The partnerships and relationships these folks have been able to build truly exemplify why Wisconsin is such a great place to live and work.”

Advent engineers and manufactures high-precision tooling products sold to customers worldwide. Founded in 1974, Advent supplies to companies in a wide variety of industrial verticals, including transportation, electrical components and systems, defense, energy and telecommunications. The company will occupy 25,000 square feet of space in a new building currently under construction in the Salem Industrial Park. Advent expects to employ 23 workers at the Salem Lakes location by 2022. The company’s workforce is primarily made up of skilled machinists.

“We are proud to call Wisconsin our new home,” said Advent Owner and President Jim Hartford. “The state is an ideal location for our business, providing a stable and business-friendly environment to support our growth plans. We are excited to write Advent’s next chapter in Wisconsin and to join the impressive list of manufacturers already in the state.”

WEDC is supporting the relocation by authorizing up to $100,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of tax credits Advent will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created during that period.

“We welcome Advent Tool & Manufacturing and thank the company for its decision to relocate its operations into our state,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “This investment is a testament to the strength of our manufacturing industry, our business climate and our outstanding workforce.”

Located just west of State Highway 83 on Wilmot Road, the Salem Business Park is situated 10 miles west of I-94. To date, 26 acres are developed or under development, leaving 40 acres for future projects. Advent is the second company from Illinois to relocate to the park, joining Vonco Products, which relocated in 2017.

“The Salem Business Park was developed with companies like Advent in mind,” said Heather Wessling Grosz, vice president of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA), which was among the lead partners in recruiting Advent to Wisconsin. “This new facility will be a showcase for customers and a safer, more productive environment for employees.”

Advent is receiving a warm welcome from other local officials.

“Kenosha County is excited to welcome Advent Manufacturing to the Salem Business Park and is looking forward to being a partner to them going forward,” said Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser. “We’re happy to celebrate a new company coming to Kenosha County; it’s a great reminder that our community is a great place to do business.”

Michael Murdock, village administrator for Salem Lakes, stated that “now more than ever, it’s important to have good companies providing living wage jobs in our community. The Salem Business Park was an innovative partnership between our community, KABA and Kenosha County, and we’re excited to see it become what it was intended to be. We welcome Advent to Salem Lakes and wish them much success in Kenosha County.”

The M7 regional economic development organization also worked to attract Advent.

“We’re thrilled that Advent has chosen southeastern Wisconsin for this significant investment,” said M7 Vice President Jim Paetsch. “Advent is precisely the kind of company that we want and can well support.  The company’s decision to invest here highlights–once again–our success in attracting new companies to Wisconsin.”