(Janesville, WI) GEA Mechanical Equipment US, Inc. (GEA) announced the beginning of construction on its state of the art 85,000 SF facility in the City of Janesville’s East Side Business Park. This net-zero (carbon footprint and operating) building will serve as the company’s Midwest assembly/production, logistics, repair and training center. Within three years, GEA anticipates that its staffing level will grow to more than 70 full-time employees.

Founded in 1881, the GEA Group is one of the world’s largest systems and components suppliers to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. With more than 18,000 employees globally and operations in 62 countries, GEA’s processes, services and technologies are commonplace among an increasingly diverse portfolio of consumer and commercial applications. The Janesville GEA facility will represent the company’s Separation & Flow Technologies Division – which is anchored by process engineering components and machines (e.g. decanters, homogenizers, pumps, separators and values). 

Hunzinger Construction Company is providing construction management, general contracting and design-build services for the project. Architectural and engineering services are being provided by Zimmerman Architectural Studio. Meanwhile, Janesville-based Silha & Sons is providing a range of grading and excavation services for the project.

To facilitate this development, the City of Janesville provided a Tax Increment Financing package. 

According to James Otterstein, Rock County Economic Development Manager, “This project represents another key supply and value chain investment to support the region’s expanding, as well as evolving, food and beverage sectors.”