By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
DP Electronic Recycling, a company expanding operations as trends and legislation follow suit, is transferring its manufacturing facilities and national headquarters to Whitewater as part of a plan announced recently.
The company, currently located in Elkhorn, has agreed to take up space in the Whitewater University Technology Park. The Whitewater Common Council on Nov. 3 consummated the plans with approval of a developer’s agreement between DP, the city and the Community Development Authority (CDA).
The document, part of a larger-scale visioning process for the technology park, calls for DP constructing a 100,000-square-foot facility that will carry a valuation of $8 million.
CDA chair Jeff Knight said efforts to bring DP to Whitewater have spanned about four years. He touted the organization’s aggressive efforts to bring businesses to the community.
“We have been the only community in the area that has sold industrial land since the recession started,” Knight said. “There will be 90 jobs, and this will be their world headquarters.”
With ongoing growth anticipated for an emerging industry, DP expects to have seven plants in operation across the country. The amount of electronic waste (e-waste for short) continues to be a global concern as new technological advances rapidly make previous generations of equipment obsolete.
In his discussion last week with the council, Knight said DP was courted by other communities as well, including the City of Watertown and a municipality in Arkansas.
Alongside the DP developer’s agreement, the Common Council backed plans to sell an 11-acre lot within the technology park for $1. Additionally, the city will relinquish its oversight of East Main Court to give DP the flexibility to construct its new facility.
