Food Ingredient Company Completes $26 Million Expansion, Adds 110 Jobs
St. Francis-based Wixon triples size of Milwaukee plant.
Peter Gottsacker cuts ribbon at Wixon expansion at 360 W. Vogel Ave. Photo provided.
Food ingredient manufacturer Wixon has completed a $25.6 million expansion of its manufacturing facility on Milwaukee’s South Side, more than tripling the operation’s footprint and creating 110 jobs.
The project, which began in fall 2025, transformed the company’s Wixon West facility at 200 W. Vogel Ave. into a more than 350,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution operation.
The 13.7-acre property is located just west of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
“We’re proud to make this investment in Milwaukee and create new employment opportunities for our community,” said Wixon President Peter Gottsacker in an Oct. 27 announcement. “Wixon West represents an important investment in our people, our customers and the future of Wixon.”
Wixon previously occupied only a portion of the building.
The upgraded facility includes five packaging lines, including a new high-speed line, segregated blending suites, quality control and analytical resources, and expanded warehouse and distribution capabilities.
Building permits indicate Wixon worked with general contractor Oliver Construction Co. on a phased buildout of the facility.
The expansion also leaves the company with additional space for future growth.
“The expansion strengthens our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Chief Operating Officer Patrick McGarry. “With additional manufacturing capacity and upgraded infrastructure, we’re better equipped to support existing business, respond to new opportunities and maintain the quality and service our customers expect.”
Founded in 1907, Wixon develops and manufactures custom flavors, seasonings and ingredient blends for food, beverage and nutritional product companies. Its products include spice blends, sauces, marinades, dry mixes and flavoring systems used by other manufacturers in everything from snack foods and prepared meals to beverages and nutritional supplements. The company also provides contract manufacturing and packaging services, allowing customers to outsource portions of their production processes.
The expanded Milwaukee facility is one of three Wixon blending and flavor production facilities in the metropolitan area. The company’s headquarters and primary manufacturing campus are located just north of the airport at 1390 E. Bolivar Ave. in St. Francis.
Gott Real Estate acquired the property, identified in city records as 360 W. Vogel Ave., for $3.1 million in 2021. It previously owned a portion of the building. City assessment records indicate the approximately 340,358-square-foot building was constructed in 1970.
Gottsacker led the purchase of Wixon in 2004 from Fontarôme, an international flavors and fragrances business based in France which had owned the company since the early 1980s. Gottsacker also owns Gott Pet Products.
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