MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Alliance Laundry Systems plans to bring 250 jobs to Manitowoc over the next three years.
Instead of cranes, laundry equipment will soon be manufactured in what used to be the staple building for Manitowoc Company.
“This is really about how do we grow and go into another labor market to provide more labor,” said Brad Nye, the vice president of manufacturing for Alliance Laundry Systems.
The number of jobs at its plant in Ripon will stay the same.
“We run about 100 people short most of the time, so this will really help us start to close that gap,” said Nye.
It was almost exactly three years ago when Manitowoc Company announced it was relocating more than 500 of its manufacturing jobs from Manitowoc to Pennsylvania. Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels says when those jobs left, smaller companies picked up the slack.
“We were all just sad and worried and concerned, but you look back at what Manitowoc has become over the last few years and all these smaller businesses that really have stepped up to the plate,” said Nickels.
Manitowoc County’s unemployment rate mirrors the state at about 3.5%. Fond du lac County, where Alliance’s Ripon facility is located, is slightly lower at 3.2%.
Alliance says it’s already started recruiting in Manitowoc and the early returns have been promising.
“Honestly, we’ve got quite a few people already that with little advertisement have come forward,” said Nye.
“Alliance has clearly done their homework as to the market, that is why they’re moving operations into Manitowoc,” said Nickels.
The plan is to start fixing up the plant next month.
Alliance plans to move its sub assembly operations to Manitowoc. Its plastics department will move there next year. Once those parts are made in Manitowoc, they’ll be shipped to Ripon for the assembly line, according to Nye.
