Company plans to add up to 90 jobs here
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
A local manufacturer announced Monday plans to expand its operations.
Lavelle Industries, Inc. is expanding at its production facilities in Whitewater and Burlington to support growth in its Korky toilet repair products and custom rubber-molded parts.
In Whitewater, construction on a planned expansion began in October, and is on track to be finished by early summer of 2015. That expansion will house additional equipment and staff.
Lavelle is adding rubber injection and compression molding presses in Burlington to meet increasing sales demands.
“I am pleased that Lavelle continues to grow by providing quality, domestically manufactured products to our customers,” company president and majority owner Rhonda Sullivan, said in a press release. “We continually look for ways to stay competitive in an industry dominated by foreign competition.”
The expansion project is expected to total up to $15 million and create up to 90 new jobs at both locations over the next three years.
To support the project, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is providing Lavelle with up to $991,250 in Economic Development Tax Credits over the next three years. The actual amount of state tax credits issued is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment the company makes in the two projects.
“WEDC is pleased to assist Lavelle Industries in this project and applauds its continued commitment to growing in Wisconsin,” said Reed Hall, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization.
Lavelle’s products are designed and manufactured in Wisconsin. Developing its proprietary rubber formulas over decades, Lavelle is able to meet the material specifications of its original equipment manufacturer customers, according to the company release.
Korky toilet flappers, fill valves and flush valves are sold through home centers, hardware stores, mass merchandisers and wholesale channels coast-to-coast.
