Alliance Laundry buys Manitowoc Cranes site
MANITOWOC - Alliance Laundry Systems has purchased the former Manitowoc Cranes Company site in Manitowoc and plans to bring 250 jobs to the area as the Ripon-based company expands operations.
Alliance Laundry, a global leader in commercial laundry equipment, announced in a news release the company plans to move into the more than 330,000-square-foot Manitowoc facility, 2401 S. 30th St., in September.
“Today marks an exciting new chapter in our company’s 111-year history,” Alliance CEO Mike Schoeb said. “By shifting some functions to the new facility, we will be able to grow high-value production locally and increase the output of this factory with additional job creation in both communities. This truly is a win for Ripon, Manitowoc and Alliance Laundry Systems.”
The move is not intended to reduce positions in Ripon, but to grow the company, he said.
“Despite expansions through the years, our Ripon plant is capped out and struggles to remain fully staffed up,” said Brad Nye, vice president of manufacturing. “This means excessive overtime and a poor work-life balance for employees.”
The expansion is a critical component to the company’s 2025 goals, he said. Alliance will start hiring immediately and jobs will be United Steel Workers positions with pay and benefits in step with the Ripon location.
“We are excited to welcome Alliance Laundry Systems to our area after months of negotiations to facilitate the successful purchase of the former Manitowoc Crane building,” said Peter Wills, executive director of Progress Lakeshore, which helped Alliance with negotiations. “The purchase of this property by a large industrial manufacturer is significant in moving the community forward after the loss of a major employer in 2016.”
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels said the arrival of Alliance Laundry Systems is positive news for his community and Manitowoc County as a whole.
“Today, we can see our always resilient community step back up thanks to Alliance’s announcement to occupy a large Manitowoc company facility and bring many good-paying jobs back to Manitowoc. Most important, we are thrilled that Alliance is dedicated to giving back to their communities,” Nickels said.
Manitowoc Cranes moved its crawler crane manufacturing operations division from Manitowoc to Shady Grove, Pennsylvania, in 2016.