Leonardo DRS has chosen a Wisconsin site for its new $56 million office, engineering and manufacturing facility.
The Village of Menomonee Falls, in southeastern Wisconsin, will be the new home for the company’s naval power systems line of business. Once operational in 2020, the complex will serve as the focal point for most of the company’s business development and production activities, and is expected to create up to 220 new jobs in addition to the 449 positions being moved from the current facility in Milwaukee. It will house the design, test and manufacturing facilities for naval and marine power distribution, power conversion, motor controls, drives and automation/control equipment for commercial and international customers, including the U.S. Navy.
Leonardo DRS and its naval power systems line of business have called Wisconsin home for more than a century. The new facility will replace the company’s current manufacturing facility in Milwaukee, which is at capacity and is more than 65 years old. The new site represents significant additional investment by the company into Wisconsin, as it will also be home to Leonardo DRS headquarters, serving as a hub for leadership, management and centralized back-office operations.
The Menomonee Falls facility is large enough to accommodate future growth, enabling the company to improve its operations and provide better support for its customers.
Prior to settling on Menomonee Falls, Leonardo DRS fielded offers from multiple states for this significant investment. The company received support from WEDC, which is awarding Leonardo DRS up to $18.5 million in state income tax credits over the next seven years. The amount of tax credits the company receives is contingent upon the number of jobs the company creates and retains, the level of capital investment it makes over that time and the amount it spends on employee training over that time.
“We are pleased that Leonardo DRS is sinking its roots deeper in southeastern Wisconsin,” added Jim Paetsch, vice president of the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development organization. “This new investment will establish the Milwaukee region as the base of operations for the company’s naval power systems business. This investment confirms the competitiveness of our region for companies that produce highly engineered products like those manufactured by Leonardo DRS.”
