Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Industrial parts manufacturer Grover Corp. wants to consolidate its Milwaukee and Texas operations in Glendale and then expand its global business there. {{more: continue …}}
Grover, which makes piston rings and seals, is proposing to use an 80,000-square-foot industrial building at 5730 N. Glen Park Road, according to information filed with Glendale officials.
That building is now used by water filtration manufacturer Pentair Inc.
Pentair this spring agreed to lease around 41,200 square feet of office space at 13845 Bishops Drive, Brookfield, according to brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield/Boerke Co. That space was formerly used by Bader Rutter & Associates Inc., which moved to downtown Milwaukee.
Grover plans to relocate around 60 employees from its Milwaukee headquarters, 2759 S. 28th St., and around 15 employees from its operation in Kennedale,Texas.
Grover plans to add around 40 full-time employees over the next three years to the new Glendale facility.
Grover’s strategic plan calls for a 50% sales increase over the next three years. The company, which doesn’t disclose annual revenue, is a significant exporter, President Stuart Banghart said Friday.
But its Milwaukee facility is landlocked and cannot be expanded.
Also, consolidating the Milwaukee and Texas operations will help Grover operate more efficiently.
The Glendale facility would include advanced manufacturing techniques to improve those operations, Banghart said.
The company would renovate the Glendale building to create “an attractive and comfortable space” to help it better recruit and retain employees, he said.
Grover plans to complete its purchase of the Glendale property on Sept. 30, and shift its operations there over six months.
The Glendale Plan Commission at its Tuesday meeting is scheduled to review Grover’s proposal.
