Contact: Michele McCawley Phone: (262)891-9744 E-mail: mmccawley@kenall.com
Congressman Paul Ryan Visits Kenall Manufacturing as Part of Economic Growth Tour of Southeastern Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin, August 5, 2016 – As part of a tour of Southeast Wisconsin manufacturers on Thursday, August 4, 2016, current Speaker of the House, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI 1st District) visited with executive leadership at Kenall Manufacturing and toured Kenall’s new, vertically integrated corporate headquarters and manufacturing plant.
Kenall, a designer and manufacturer of solid-state lighting for challenging commercial applications, relocated to Kenosha County in December of 2014, bringing approximately 500 jobs to the area. It is one of several manufacturing firms that helped Kenosha County, Wisconsin earn the #14 spot on Forbes Magazine’s list, “U.S. Cities Winning the Battle for Manufacturing Jobs”. In addition, Kenall was named a 2015 Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) Fast Five Business Excellence Award recipient for its excellence and achievement in business throughout Kenosha County.
Speaker Ryan spoke with company executives, including CEO and Chairman Jim Hawkins, about Kenall’s advancement of LED lighting technology in commercial spaces, including ongoing efforts to train and develop a local workforce to produce high-quality, American-made products.
“We feel we have quickly become an important part of the fabric of Kenosha County and Southeast Wisconsin. We believe that a trained workforce is essential to the success of manufacturing and through the cooperation with state and local governments, as well as nearby colleges and technical schools, this vision can and will be achieved. We also believe that the USA should be the world leader in manufacturing and we can provide the employment and quality of life for those looking for that chance,” said Hawkins, whose father, Ken, started the lighting company in Chicago back in 1963. “We know that Speaker Ryan is deeply invested in seeing manufacturers thrive in order to fuel the economy and create jobs, and we are pleased to show him how we’re doing that here at Kenall,” concluded Hawkins.
Speaker Ryan also made time to tour the plant floor, which recently earned ISO 9001 Certification. “Manufacturers like Kenall are the lifeblood of Wisconsin’s economy. They are flourishing and creating jobs. That’s why in Congress, we’ve proposed our ‘A Better Way’ agenda to streamline the regulatory process so more manufacturers in southeast Wisconsin can expand, grow, and innovate,” stated Speaker Ryan at the conclusion of his tour.
Kenall Manufacturing was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1963 and has built a reputation for durable lighting solutions of superior quality and exceptional value. Today, the company focuses on the transportation–including parking, transit and tunnel–high-abuse, correctional, healthcare, sealed enclosure and food processing markets. Kenall luminaires are designed and manufactured in the USA and meet the guidelines established under the Buy American Act and the North American Free Trade Agreement. For additional information, visit www.kenall.com.
