ER Wagner, manufacturer of high-quality hinges and stampings, machined and wrapped tubes, and casters and wheels, has moved into its new state-of-the-art 157,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and offices in the Village of Menomonee Falls.
The new offices and manufacturing operations, located at W130 N8691 Old Orchard Road, marks a new era for the 116-year-old company – brought forth by an impressive investment in equipment, workforce and technology
A fresh start
When ER Wagner broke ground on the new facility back in mid-2016, company officials said the decision to leave behind the Milwaukee facility it had called home for more than a century was a hard one. But for a company eyeing significant long-term growth, it was necessary to achieve that vision.
The new facility includes approximately 135,000-square-feet of manufacturing space and 22,000 square-feet of office space. Plans also allow for future growth, providing for another 45,000-square-feet of additional manufacturing space when the time comes.
But in the end, a building is just a building, it’s the investment ER Wagner is making inside the building – technology and people – that’s truly monumental.
New technology
Since 2015, ER Wagner introduced High Speed, Precision Manufacturing (HPM) systems with Bihler technology for making tight tolerance wrapped tubular parts, new tube cutting and machining capabilities and automation including robotic solutions. While that technology and other current manufacturing processes will be available at the new ER Wagner facility, the company is also adding a new 600-ton punch press in January 2018 that will greatly increase ER Wagner’s metal stamping capabilities.
Available for production soon, this machine features the latest technology in metal stampings, which means ER Wagner will be able to stamp bigger parts made of thicker metal – including high-strength metals – with complex geometries and tighter tolerances faster and more efficiently.
“This is another significant investment in technology that is the cornerstone of our future,” said Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Brad Gador. “These investments in equipment and facilities further enhance ER Wagner’s ability to bring design solutions and best value to our customers.”
Workforce development
Of course, machines are only as good as the people who run them, and ER Wagner is taking workforce development very seriously – investing in extensive training and certifications. They want their workers to not only be able to run the machines properly, they want them to be masters of metal.
Currently, the company is bringing over 150 to 160 workers from its Milwaukee facility and a hundred or so more will continue to work on its continuous hinge product line facility in Brookfield, Ill.
The company’s vision is to grow sales by 50 percent over the next 5 years, and the company anticipates an increased ability to attract new employees at their new state of the art facility that includes employee-centric amenities such as an air-conditioned manufacturing plant, outdoor walking trails and modern indoor and outdoor employee break rooms.
At a recent meeting of the ER Wagner Board of Directors, Schildkraut walked through the new facility, listened as the machines hummed and watched as newly stamped parts flew out of a machine.
“This catapults us into the future,” Schildkraut said. “ER Wagner is a whole new company.”
For more information on the new facility and capabilities, call us at 800.558.5596