A Milwaukee manufacturer of concrete products used in highway construction will build a 100,000 sq. ft. plant in Burlington, employing 90-95 workers.
RexCon LLC manufactures portable and stationary concrete plants, concrete paving products and provides parts and machining services. Among its products is a portable concrete batch plant that produces up to 200 cubic yards an hour.
The new facility, expected to open in late 2008, will be built in the City of Burlington's Manufacturing and Office Park.
RexCon manufactures all of its products and performs installation and field support services. The company, founded in 1919 as part of Rex Chainbelt, currently occupies a 140,000 sq. ft. leased facility, on the northwest side of Milwaukee near Good Hope Road. The company's search for a new site included areas throughout southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
RexCon President Jake Jacob said, "Burlington is a community that is continuing to grow ... providing RexCon with the workforce to help run our facility. The quality of life in Burlington, as well as its location in the Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor, attracts the quality workforce tht RexCon will need to compete in an international economy."
Jacob credited Burlington Mayor Claude Lois, the Racine County Economic Development Corporation and others for helping to locate appropriate sites and meeting the company's needs in a timely manner. Final completion of the project's details awaits a decision by state officials on financial assistance.
Nov 1, 2007
Burlington attracts concrete products maker, 90 jobs
Oct 29, 2007
Of secrets, perception and the catbird seat
These are good times for Gordy Kacala, executive director of RCEDC.
He has secrets to keep.
After almost three decades working to enhance the economic development of Racine County, Kacala is busy bringing together developers, communities and landowners – all (hopefully!) to provide tax base, jobs and services for county residents.
How many secrets is Kacala holding close right now? More than 1.5 million of them -- if each square foot of soon-to-be-announced construction is counted as a secret.
Kacala really wants to take me into his confidence; he gives hints, lets me guess wrong once or twice, helps me narrow it down. Then, when I finally come up with the right company behind an upcoming project, he swears me to secrecy, alas.
In the past month, three large projects have been announced: a 380,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Sturtevant, and two warehouses totalling 420,000 sq. ft. in Mount Pleasant.
These, encompassing 126 acres, are just the tip of the iceberg. There are approximately 900 acres of business-industrial potential just in the narrow corridor between Highways 11 and 20, and I-94 and Hwy. V.
The 900-acre figure is significant in light of a 2005 SEWRPC study which examined all developable land in existing industrial/business parks in Racine County. The study concluded that less than 500 available acres met seven key criteria (streets, sewers, buildable, etc.) in the entire county.
Expect a major announcement from that other end of the county soon. (Hint: “Burlington is our hottest community.”)
Which still leaves more than 1 million square-feet of development in Kacala's pipeline.
“I'm surprised by the size; they're huge,” Kacala says. “We're back to large facilities. Companies are centralizing their regional focus.”
But why should we care about warehouses when it's really manufacturing jobs we want and need?
Kacala lets me know, in no uncertain terms. (He tells me the same question was asked by a certain reporter I consider dumber than a rock. I am mortified.)
“Warehouse-distribution centers are good for three reasons: They bring tax base; given our location they're an understandable use; and, finally, because of changes in manufacturing and out-sourcing, this is the way business is done today.”
Get the warehouse, and it “solidifies” a company's presence. “Warehousing and manufacturing go together,” he says.
Furthermore, “If people see things happening, it will change perceptions,” he says. “We've got to change the minds of people who live here first.”
There's another, less-benign reason why we should be glad developers are building distribution warehouses here: Our existing labor force isn't ready for manufacturing jobs.
Yes, the city of Racine has an 8.6% unemployment rate (the rest of the county is about half that). But Kacala cites the 2000 Census, which showed that 42% of males age 18-24 don't have a high school education. A sobering statistic.
That was six years ago; Kacala estimates the figure might hold true today for 18-28-year-olds, or 18-30's. Two local companies, he says, “bought robots because they can't find trained people.”
“We're competing with China,” he says.
Pointing to the small amount of newly available industrial land within the city, the former Jacobsen-Textron site, Kacala says: “It's not the availability of land that's the problem, it's the labor force.” He's had to deliver that unhappy message to a number of inner-city organizations seeking jobs for their constituents. Education is the key.
The development is coming; if we don't improve our own labor force, Kacala says, more than a million workers live in the I-94 corridor, from Lake County to Milwaukee; “relatively good commuting distance.”
Development will provide a range of jobs. Yes, warehouse jobs are at the lower end, but it's all we can now fill.
“If we get the businesses here, and unemployment is still 10%, then we've (failed) big-time.”
Today, “every location within a softball throw of Milwaukee is developed.”
Kacala says he receives one or two development inquiries a week, and 10-15% of those turn out to become projects we have a shot at. “Fifty-two a year; if you get 10 of those, that's pretty substantial.”
For now, Racine County is in the catbird seat.
Oct 25, 2007
PROPERTY TRANSFERS: Norway home sells for a bargain at $832,000
The big deal of the week was an $832,000 home at 4395 Southdown Drive in Norway. The five-bedroom, 4.5 bath home was listed at $895,000 by Century 21. It had been on the market for more than 30 days.
The listing for it described the 3,000 square-foot home as being in a secluded, park-like setting. The home has oversized windows overlooking a pond surrounded by professionally landscaped grounds. It also includes a deck overlooking three ponds on 10 acres.
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In Racine, the big seller on a slow week, with just 30 transfers countywide, was a $285,000 home at 205 Lombard Ave. The three-bedroom, three-bath located near Lake Michigan at Lombard and Michigan Blvd. had been on the market for more than 30 days. It had a list price of $299,000.
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On the opposite end, the low seller of the week was an $18,000 home at 1709 Linden Ave. in Racine. The home was owned by Thomas Nelson and assessed at $72,000 last year.
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Oct 3, 2007
Property Transfers: Burlington home sells for $1.165 million
A Burlington home at 30609 Cedar Drive sold for $1.165 million on Sept. 14, according to Racine County Register of Deeds office. (Click here to download a spreadsheet of the property transfers.)
The home, listed by Sharon Smolensky of Keefe Real Estate in Burlington, is located on the north end of Browns Lake and sits on 0.56 acres and had an assessed value of $946,900. It's fair market value was estimated at $1.018 million in 2006.
Timothy Markowski sold the home. The sale was reported ot the Register of Deeds office on Oct. 1.
The hefty price tag is similar to neighboring houses on Cedar Drive. A house at 30537 Cedar Drive is on the market for $1.25 million.
The Cedar Drive sale was the highest in Racine County for the week of Sept. 26 to Oct. 3. In all, 56 properties were reported sold during the week at an average price countywide of $164,706.85. Here's a breakdown of average prices by community with multiple home sales:
Racine - $116,657.41
Caledonia - $200,966.67
Mount Pleasant - $148,757.78
Sturtevant - $175,575.00
Union Grove - $117,000.00
Waterford - $250,250.00
