RenewAire LLC, currently located at 4510 Helgesen Drive in Madison, has announced plans to relocate to the Village of Waunakee. After a comprehensive 16 month search process, RenewAire is purchasing a property and building in the Waunakee Business Park at 201 Raemisch Road. The 111,700 square foot facility was formerly operated as a distribution and office facility by Owens and Minor, who closed and laid off 70 employees in September of 2013. The building has been vacant since that time.
RenewAire manufactures Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) products for a wide range of residential and commercial applications. The company was founded in 1978 with a mission to make a positive difference for the planet by reducing the need for fossil fuels. ERVs supply the necessary fresh air required for a healthy indoor environment by reclaiming the energy from exhaust air as one of the final necessary steps in energy efficient building design. RenewAire has enjoyed many years of rapid growth and today is one of the leading manufacturers of ERVs in North America. They have operated from their current Helgesen Drive facility since 2005. With 62 current employees, RenewAire plans to undertake a major building remodel and begin doing business in the Waunakee facility by January of 2017 with 70 employees. According to their mission, the upgraded facility will be LEED certified and will showcase many environmentally sustainable features. Strategic growth plans over the next 10 years include physical expansion to the facility and potential employment growth to more than 200 employees.
Chuck Gates, President of RenewAire, is excited about the opportunities that this move will have for RenewAire’s growth potential. According to Gates, “Our industry is poised for long term growth and RenewAire is uniquely positioned to continue to lead the market. The time is right for us to invest in infrastructure to facilitate our continued growth and success. RenewAire is best able to serve our customers’ needs with local Quick Response Manufacturing and is committed to creating office and manufacturing jobs in the community.” Gates has also been pleased with the way in which Waunakee’s Village officials have responded to their needs. “Within days of our initial contact with the Village, they were out visiting us in person and touring our current space. They’ve been responsive to our needs and have made the process to this point very simple and straight forward. I already believe that we’ve made the right choice to put down new roots in Waunakee,” says Gates.
Village President Chris Zellner looks forward to welcoming RenewAire and its employees to the Village. "Based on my early impressions of RenewAire's operations and management, I am confident that they will be pleased with relocating here in Waunakee," says Zellner. "Our community is fortunate to be enjoying growth in all areas - residential, retail and industrial. Over the last 10 years our efforts to revitalize Main Street and the downtown area have added a new and vibrant energy in our community. I see RenewAire as a new industrial partner that will fit right in with all of the other good things that are happening."
The Village of Waunakee is in the process of creating a new TIF District for this project. A development agreement will also be completed granting economic incentives for the relocation of RenewAire to Waunakee. RenewAire plans to close on the property by mid-March of 2016 and quickly begin building modifications in order to complete their move by January of 2017.