Minnesota company to occupy new facility in Osceola

MADISON, WI. Aug. 18, 2017 – Kage Innovation LLC, which invents and manufactures custom snow removal and lawn care equipment, is relocating its operations from Minnesota to northwestern Wisconsin, company and state officials announced today.

Kage Innovation, which was founded in 2006 and develops new equipment technology for snow removal operators, landscaping contractors and other grounds managers, is moving from Oak Park Heights, Minn., to Polk County. The company broke ground Friday on a 26,400-square-foot facility in the Osceola Airport Industrial Park.

“Wisconsin is Open for Business, and it is great to see Kage Innovation moving into Polk County from Minnesota,” said Governor Scott Walker. “Wisconsin is fast becoming a destination for economic opportunity that will provide family-supporting jobs for years to come. Throughout Wisconsin, the reforms we put in place are working and making a difference in communities.”

In addition to the 22 employees who will be relocating to Wisconsin, the company expects to create seven new full-time jobs over the next two years.

“Kage Innovation needed a manufacturing-friendly environment that would allow us to establish roots and help support our future expansion,” said Mike Stephan, president of Kage Innovation. “We found Osceola fit those requirements and so much more. I think that the Osceola community will continue to grow and become a leader for manufacturing resources, as well as be the benchmark for a very high quality of life.”

To support the company’s relocation, WEDC has authorized Kage Innovation to receive up to $200,000 in state tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of credits the company will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the company’s level of capital investment over that time.

“Kage Innovation joins the growing number of companies seeking to establish or expand operations in Wisconsin because of the state’s pro-business climate,” said Mark R. Hogan, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “I thank this family-owned company for making the commitment to Wisconsin and I look forward to their continued success in our state.”

“We are thrilled that Kage Innovation has chosen to relocate to the Momentum West region of the state of Wisconsin,” said Steve Jahn, executive director of Momentum West, the economic development organization serving west-central Wisconsin. “They will be joining a long list of businesses that have thrived in this part of the state, and we welcome them as part of our community.”

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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.