In this economy, WireTech Fabricators delivered on a promise politicians only dream of: WireTech opened a new manufacturing plant and created jobs at a new $3 million facility in Sturgeon Bay's industrial park.

Almost 200 people took advantage of the company's invitation to take a tour Thursday of their new 66,500-square-foot plant and office at 124 E. Leeward St.

"It's very impressive," Sturgeon Bay Community Development Director Marty Olejniczak said.

Olejniczak was one of a number of local government and state officials who collaborated with the company and the Door County Economic Development Corp. (DCEDC) over the last 15 years to make the opening of the new plant possible.

The city of Sturgeon Bay created a third tax incremental financing (TIF) district and bought the company's old plant at 810 N. Sixth Ave. for $1 million to develop housing in that residential neighborhood. The intent was to give the company the incentive to move to the industrial park.

The entire move of the facility involved a complex patchwork of negotiations among DCEDC Executive Director Bill Chaudoir, state WHEDA executives involved with the housing development, the Department of Commerce, and the city Plan Commission and Common Council.

Sturgeon Bay resident Jim Adams was a council member in the 1980s who tried to put the pieces together way back then. Adams toured the plant Thursday and was glad to see those pieces finally fall into place.

"It's a wonderful plant with a lot of room to grow," Adams said. "They've been a good neighbor (on Sixth Street) but this is a much better fit."

Having truck traffic shifted to the industrial park and room to expand are advantages both for the company and Sturgeon Bay, he said.

WireTech Vice President Mike Baudhuin said the company is already considering expansion on additional land available at their new location and said he expects to add on to the new plant in the next three to five years. He added that quality employees are a reason his company will grow in Door County.

"We're really fortunate to live in this community and have the dedicated work force we have," Baudhuin said. "We continue to add folks and invest in them and train people with the right value system."

The company ranks as Door County's 15th largest employer with 130 employees. Their numbers fluctuate, but the new space allowed room to add about 25 employees, Baudhuin said.

"Our customers are giving us the confidence to move forward," he said.

WireTech's customers make up a list of manufacturers who use wire parts to make up their final products — Ariens, Nissan and Briggs & Stratton are some who use WireTech components in their products. The company also bends wire for chairs, hospital beds and office equipment. They customize a number of wire components.

More than 8 million pounds of wire a year is used by WireTech, Jeff Kramer told a group of visitors as he guided them through the plant.

Kramer, a process engineer, was one of several employees who led tours to see robotic machinery in action and WireTech employees at work.

The plant is divided into color-coded cells of CNC tube benders and machines doing all the bending, fusing and melting of wire into frames and other manufacturing products. Highly skilled employees were operating the machines in a very clean, well-lighted facility. Even the forklifts have non-skid tires to keep the new floors clean, Kramer said. Ventilation captures the smoke to keep that out of the shop area.

"We never really shut down production," he told guests as he explained the move to the new facility.

The apparent organization of tools and equipment make it easy to see why things could be moved in blocks. Thursday's guests were a mix of curious neighbors, local businessmen and a number of people involved in building the new plant, as well as those related to people who work at the plant.

"We watched this slowly go up so wanted to see the inside," said David Meier, who took the tour along with his wife, Heidi, and three children.

"It's hopeful to see the plant go up in this economy," Heidi Meier said.

"The machines are interesting for all they do," the Meiers' young son Karl said. "I liked seeing seeing how the robots are all controlled."

WireTech added several high cost robotics to its plant both before and after the move. The cost of one machine is $300,000.

"They already had a lot of robotic and CNC equipment before the move," Chaudoir said. "They are one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world. It's really something to have that here in little old Sturgeon Bay."

WireTech organized the plant using "lean manufacturing" practices to improve efficiency and cut costs for their customers, he said.

"That was hard to do in an older facility and with tight space," he said. "By doing such a good job and providing value, they can stay competitive in their field and succeed and grow along with their customers."

"I'm very proud of how it all turned out and pleased this opportunity was available and they took advantage of it," he said. "I'm looking forward to see them grow in the future."

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101009/ADV01/10090458/WireTech-stretches-its-legs-in-industrial-park