Komatsu Mining Corp. has announced plans for a new, state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing campus in Milwaukee. The project, which could create more than 400 jobs, cements Komatsu’s ongoing presence in the city, where it has been a valued employer for 134 years.
“This is a win for the city, the state, our employees, customers and the community. Together we are investing in Milwaukee’s future as a manufacturing stronghold and valued employer,” said John Koetz, president – surface mining at Komatsu. “We are preserving existing jobs, laying the groundwork for new employment opportunities, investing in the workforce of tomorrow and helping attract talent to the area. Milwaukee is a great place for manufacturing. We are proud of our history here and excited to start building our future.”
The new headquarters, as well as new manufacturing and training facilities, will be built at the former Solvay Coke site along the Milwaukee riverfront. The 54-acre site, to be called the South Harbor Campus, is near the location of Komatsu’s original machine shop.
Campus plans include about 170,000 square feet of office space, a 20,000-square-foot museum and training building, and 410,000 square feet of manufacturing space. It will consolidate two of Komatsu’s current Milwaukee-area facilities into a central location, and current estimates call for the project to be completed in 2020.
The plans include advanced machine, heat treat and fabrication shops; state-of-the-art technology, research and development, and robotics labs; an office complex and data solutions center; a global training and conference center; and a City of Milwaukee public riverwalk adjacent to the campus.
WEDC and Komatsu have reached an agreement that will provide the company with up to $59.5 million in state income tax credits over the next 12 years. Komatsu will earn the state tax credits based upon the number of jobs created and retained, the amount of capital investment it makes and the amount it spends on purchasing equipment, goods and services from Wisconsin-based companies during that period.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Komatsu Mining Corp. is part of the global Komatsu family of companies, which serves the mining, forestry, industrial and construction industries.
