Microbial Discovery Group expands in Wisconsin with opening of third manufacturing facility

Photo courtesy of WEDC.

FRANKLIN, WI. SEPT. 3, 2025 – State, local, and company leaders today celebrated the grand opening of the third Wisconsin production location for Microbial Discovery Group (MDG).

The expansion represents substantial growth for the R&D-driven product development, scale-up, and large-scale Bacillus fermentation company, adding to its footprint in southeastern Wisconsin.

Since its establishment in 2007, MDG has positioned itself at the forefront of developing and commercializing microbial solutions for industrial, agriculture, human, and environmental applications.

The new, 117,000-square-foot facility at 3303 W. Oakwood Road in Franklin joins the company’s other production facilities Oak Creek and elsewhere in Franklin. This latest, $30 million expansion is expected to create 46 new high-skill jobs over the next three years.

“With this expansion, we are continuing to answer the call for sustainable solutions to the world’s largest problems,” says Sona Son, chief operating officer of MDG. “Adding this new facility’s fermentation and drying capacity will increase our capability to grow and manufacture environmentally safer products.”

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is supporting the project by authorizing up to $600,000 in performance-based income tax credits. The amount of credits the company receives is contingent on capital investment and job creation.

“Microbial Discovery Group is the kind of innovative, forward-looking company that belongs in Wisconsin,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development agency. “WEDC is pleased to support their continued growth and expansion in our state.”

MDG has worked closely with the City of Franklin on the facility design and anticipating year-over-year growth.

“Microbial Discovery Group is the latest globally recognized company to invest in our city by opening its new impressive facility in Franklin,” said John Nelson, City of Franklin Mayor. “While MDG has been based in Franklin since 2007, we appreciate that they chose to open their new facility in the city where it all began. Our team has enjoyed working with MDG throughout the entire planning process of placing an indelible footprint in the Franklin community.”

The Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership (M7), the economic development organization for southeastern Wisconsin, also assisted in the MDG expansion.

“This expansion is a powerful testament to the innovation and collaboration we support through the Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership,” said Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, M7 co-chair. “It further positions southeastern Wisconsin as a biotech hub, bringing high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth to the region.”

The expansion provides MDG with the necessary space to further its fermentation and lyophilization capabilities while supporting the company’s mission to “Feed, Clean, and Save the World.” With the completion of the expansion project, MDG has added roughly 22,000 liters of fermentation capacity at the Oakwood Road location, creating a total capacity of 55,000 liters across all three production locations. This supports the commercialization of MDG’s proprietary products as well as those of their contract manufacturing clients.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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