“This is a magnificent, old manufacturing space with overhead cranes and a long area where we are going to manufacture our full-size implements,”

says Joe Bassett, CEO of Dawn Equipment.

He says the market for facilities that are ready to accommodate the production of 40-60-foot implements, like Dawn’s full-size strip-till bar the Black Dawn One, is fairly limited, making the Milwaukee location all the more special.

“The interesting thing about Milwaukee is there’s such a legacy of heavy equipment manufacturing. You have all the pieces you need right here, in terms of steel, heat treating, and the labor pool. It’s a really amazing ecosystem of manufacturers,”

he says.

“I’m in awe of the scale of the location we’re moving into. The shovels that dug the Panama Canal were built right on that same floor. You have that legacy of American manufacturing that we can bring back to life by building something big again in these historic plants.”

Bassett plans to run a research and development site on the premises as well, allowing Dawn to run tractors and validate equipment.

The facility has 75,000 square feet, with Bassett planning to have 25 employees at the plant by 2022. He says it will be a challenge finding welding talent.

“There aren’t enough young people going into the skilled trades anymore. So we’re going to have to bring in some senior, high-skill people while building a pool of more junior welding talent at the same time,”

he says.

Bassett gives credit to the Milwaukee 7 Economy Development Group for helping get Dawn settled in southeast Wisconsin.

“The Milwaukee 7 Economy Development Group has been super helpful, in terms of connecting us with different suppliers and people who are helping with recruiting and interfacing with Milwaukee and Wisconsin economic development groups,”

he says.

Bassett is keeping an ear to the ground concerning the plant owner’s other development plans, including the possibility of a restaurant on the premises. He continues,

“There’s a beautiful, historic building on the premises that they’re talking with the City of South Milwaukee about potentially turning into a brewery or restaurant. I think that would be amazing to have farmers come in, check out the plant, see the equipment being built, then grab a beer and a burger.”

He says the new facility is part of the company’s broader strategy to transition away from aftermarket attachments and “more into the OEM space.” Bassett says Dawn’s row unit production will remain at its Sycamore, Ill., facilities, with those row units to be mated to the frames produced at the Milwaukee plant.

“Over the next 5 years, you’ll see us sell more complete whole goods as opposed to attachments. Dawn Equipment has been defined as an ‘attachment manufacturer’ for a long time,”

he adds.

He says the company aims to produce 10 units of the Black Dawn One in 2021, followed by 20 units in 2022.

The move toward full-size implements is part of Dawn Equipment’s 5-year plan to double the size of the company, which will also include introducing planter row units and eventually its own high-speed planter.

Source: Dawn Equipment

The post Dawn Equipment Opens Second Factory in Milwaukee appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Building on its 135-year-legacy in Milwaukee, Komatsu Mining Corp. officially broke ground for its new state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing campus in Milwaukee’s Harbor District on east Greenfield Avenue.

The company recently finalized the acquisition of two parcels of land totaling nearly 57 acres for the project. Partnering with the State of Wisconsin and City of Milwaukee, Komatsu is investing approximately $285 million in its South Harbor Campus, which will include purpose-built, modern manufacturing facilities; advanced technology, robotics, engineering, and R&D labs; a large office complex, training facilities, a data solutions center and an experience center.

Komatsu Mining Corp. President and CEO Jeff Dawes said:

“Building this state-of-the-art facility with a focus on prioritizing technology, supports our commitment to developing and delivering innovative solutions for our global customers. Our goal is to create a remarkable workplace for our employees that provides space to grow, will serve as a global center of excellence for Komatsu, and demonstrates a sincere commitment to sustainability and our community.”

Pre-construction work has been underway since the end of 2019 to prepare the site for redevelopment. The company plans to occupy the new campus in 2022.

John Koetz, President, Surface Mining at Komatsu said:

“We commend We Energies for their leadership in taking on the remediation of this former superfund site. We are excited to see this harbor site transform from an abandoned brownfield to a vibrant, sustainable workplace that provides the community opportunity for family-sustaining jobs for the future.”

With the leadership of project partners, Hunzinger Construction Co, EUA, & GRAEF, full construction is now underway.  Contractors Hunzinger, A.W. Oakes & Son Inc. and Cornerstone One are all leveraging Komatsu’s new Smart Construction technologies to remotely optimize their processes and control construction planning, management, scheduling, and costs — all in near real-time.

The post Komatsu breaks ground for new campus in Milwaukee’s Harbor District appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Previously, the Company announced the temporary closure of its facilities in France, and while those facilities remain closed, they are working on plans to resume limited production in the second half of April. Additionally, Alamo’s two UK facilities will be temporarily closing this week, but like our French operations, expect to be operational by the second half of April or as of such time as the impacts of coronavirus is mitigated.

In North America, the Company’s Super Products Plant near Milwaukee also closed temporarily on Monday but is expected to reopen in a few days, and several of our other operations are furloughing some of their workforces temporarily due to the factors listed above. Plus, all of the Company’s plants are experiencing somewhat higher levels of employee absences, as some employees are self-quarantining, others are staying home to care for children out of school and still, others are out for normal reasons of absence. It should also be noted that the Company has approximately 500 employees working remotely and that number is growing daily as conditions allow.

Despite the above challenges, Alamo Group continues to conduct business and meet most
customer requirements in a timely fashion. Even the Company’s operations that are temporarily closed have the capability to meet the most urgent needs of our customers.

Source: Alamo Group

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