Buoyed By Data Center Growth, Milwaukee Company Adding New Plant
Manufacturer of backup power systems plans second plant that will add 50 jobs.
Tramont Manufacturing at 326 E. Keefe Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Backed by a new owner, Tramont Manufacturing is poised for big growth.
The Harambee-based company is adding a second plant, this time on the city’s far Northwest Side. It will occupy a portion of the former Super Steel plant at 7900 W. Tower Ave.
Tramont, 326 E. Keefe Ave., manufactures components for backup power systems, a market that has rapidly grown with the international buildout of large data centers. The company was founded in 1977 and describes itself as “one of the largest and most experienced manufacturers of UL listed diesel fuel day tanks, sub-base tanks, enclosures and other products for industrial engine-generators.”
In May, New York-based Graycliff Partners announced it was acquiring the company. Tramont Executive Chairman Nand Kunar was said to be retaining “meaningful ownership and involvement going forward” as part of the deal.
“In Graycliff, we found a partner that understands our business and shares our vision for the future. Their operational and strategic expertise will help position Tramont for its next phase of growth,” Kunar said in a statement.
Kunar acquired the business out of receivership in 2014.
“Tramont is a high-quality, differentiated manufacturer operating in an attractive and growing end market,” said Andrew Trigg, Graycliff managing partner, in a statement. “The company plays a critical role in the backup power ecosystem, and we believe it is well positioned to benefit from continued investment in data center infrastructure and grid resiliency. We are excited to partner with Nand and the broader Tramont team.”
The Tramont acquisition is expected to be the first of multiple purchases to come. “Graycliff intends to pursue complementary acquisitions and product expansion opportunities to broaden Tramont’s capabilities and end market exposure,” said a May 12 press release.
According to an occupancy permit, Tramont, which reports having about 200 employees, will add 50 jobs at the northwest-side location.
The new location is to be used for steel tank fabrication. Tramont “will use cutting, forming, welding and painting processes to create steel tanks from raw steel sheets and structural steel profiles.”
The new plant, according to the permit request, is to cover 124,157 square feet of the 432,369-square-foot building. Super Steel relocated to Mequon in 2021.
Its current plant occupies 142,616 square feet, according to city property records. In February, the company applied to construct a 3,000-square-foot addition to the plant. In a related move last November, the Common Council approved selling the company the remnant parcel, 401 E. Nash St., left over from a former railroad line that once bisected the Keefe Avenue property, for $500.
The former Super Steel plant has been owned by California-based Pell Street Properties since 2022.
Correspondence between the city and Pell Street says MDS Fulfillment and Converted Products Inc. currently leases portions of the Super Steel plant. According to a site plan, Tramont would occupy the northwestern portion of the plant.
Just seven years ago, Tramont moved its entire operation within the East Capitol District business park, previously known as Riverworks.
The company was long based at 3701 N. Humboldt Blvd., but sold the property in a leaseback transaction in 2009. It purchased its current home, previously home to Compo Steel Products, in 2019 and relocated to the facility. Its Humboldt Boulevard facility was originally a Johnson Controls plant.
In addition to Tramont, Kunar leads Illinois-based UCA Group. The company, according to its website, has plants in Texas and Tennessee and specializes in “precision manufacturing and assembly.”
Legislation Link - Urban Milwaukee members see direct links to legislation mentioned in this article. Join today
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
