ETC Contact: pressroom@etcconnect.com
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Middleton, Wisconsin – This week ETC, a world-leading manufacturer of lighting technology for entertainment and architectural markets, breaks ground on their latest expansion. In 2004 ETC moved into their current building in Middleton which at the time was nearly 250,000 square feet. In 2007 the company was already out of room and added an additional 78,000 square feet of manufacturing space. By 2013 ETC had once again grown larger than their building and they purchased a 355,000 square foot building in Mazomanie, 16 miles west of Middleton to provide more manufacturing capacity.
Once again looking to expand, ETC is adding a multi-story, 75,000 square foot addition. While the last two building expansions added manufacturing space, this addition adds offices, lounge space, and meeting rooms for research and development. The company currently staffs 850 employees in Dane County, and another 200 employees in nine additional offices around the globe. This expansion will allow the addition of another 250 employees across many departments as the company continues to grow in the future.
The inside of the addition will be uniquely constructed from salvaged shipping containers stacked on multiple levels. “We’ve been playing around with shipping container office designs for a few years and it’s great that we’ll have a way to use them on such a large scale,” Says Fred Foster, ETC CEO. “This unique recycled design gives our employees not only the individual room they need to work, but also a creative space that encourages collaboration and open communication through a wider range of departments.”
ETC entered into a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement with the city of Middleton for this expansion. Mike Davis, Middleton City Administrator says, “We are pleased to help facilitate ETC’s growth. We appreciate ETC and all they do for our community on so many levels. Our past TIF agreements with ETC have been some of the most successful in our history and we’re proud to be a part of their current and future success.”
