FAST FIVE award winners Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Hanna Cylinders
Kenall Manufacturing
Industry: Manufacturing Address: 8901 102nd St., Pleasant Prairie Employees: 107 Website: www.hannacylinders.com
Industry: Manufacturing Address: 10200 55th St., Kenosha Employees: 550 Website: www.kenall.com
Quality, delivery and technical support have been the focus of Pleasant Prairie-based Hanna Cylinders since its founding. The company relocated to Pleasant Prairie in late 2013 from its former location in Libertyville, Ill. “Relocating an organization is a complicated process, but KABA helped to make the decision to move to Wisconsin clear,” said Kimball Bradley, president of Hanna Cylinders. “Manufacturing is difficult and needs to be supported by our local, state and federal government. Although we have only been in Wisconsin for a short period of time, the experience has been very favorable. We had many opportunities and it was a tough decision to make. We know that we made the right choice.” The company has experienced year-over-year revenue growth in the new facility. Upon relocation, Hanna Cylinders invested heavily in new machinery with the goal of reducing lead times and maximizing customer satisfaction.
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BRADLEY
“We surprise our customers with our efficiency and willingness to go above and beyond and be a solution to their challenges,” Bradley said. “The business friendly environment that the state of Wisconsin, and specifically KABA, has created allows us to compete on a global level.” Hanna Cylinders was founded in 1901 and manufactures industrial grade tie-rod and custom engineered cylinders. The company specializes in being the complete source for virtually any heavy-duty pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. “Our future growth will be driven by increasing our market share and expanding our product offering through research and development,” Bradley said.
Kenosha-based Kenall Manufacturing is on the fast track for growth and expansion, but the company is relatively new to the Kenosha area. The company, formerly headquartered in Gurnee, Ill., outgrew its existing facility and in April 2014 purchased 32 acres in the Business Park of Kenosha. Kenall manufactures high abuse lighting fixtures for use in difficult-to-light areas. According to Randy Hernandez, vice president of manufacturing operations at Kenall, the company polled its employees and made a strategic decision to remain close, but move 15 miles north to Kenosha. “Wisconsin and the Kenosha area was very businessoriented and extremely responsive in all respects,” Hernandez said. “We had a few locations to choose between, including some in northern Illinois, but ultimately decided on Kenosha.” Kenall constructed a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and began early production in the facility in November 2014. In January, the company’s executive team
HERNANDEZ
and headquarters relocated. A total of $25 million was spent on major investments in the facility, including a temperature-controlled plant and new welding and fabrication machines. The company also has an additional 13 acres on which to expand in the future. Kenall was founded in 1963 and started out creating the first impact- and vandal-resistant lighting products. Today, it is focused on providing advanced lighting systems for high abuse industries, including transportation, health care, food processing, and clean room and containment environments. The company’s product line includes innovations like the Indigo-Clean, a light fixture that reduces harmful bacteria. The company’s ability to meet the needs of an innovative market has driven its growth, Hernandez said.
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