KY: WILA USA To Relocate North American HQ to Louisville With $11.5M Investment, 24 Jobs

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced continued economic growth in the commonwealth as WILA USA, an industry-leading producer of tooling systems for sheet metals, announced it will be relocating its North American headquarters and establishing manufacturing operations in Jefferson County with an $11.5 million investment creating 24 quality Kentucky jobs.

“It’s no secret why companies continue to choose to locate their business here in the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “Kentucky’s business-friendly environment and talented workforce make it an ideal option for any company seeking to improve access to their consumer base and increase competitiveness within their market. I want to thank WILA USA’s leadership team for trusting Kentucky to be home to their North American headquarters and manufacturing operation. I look forward to watching their success in the commonwealth for many years to come.”

The project comes in response to the company’s commitment to expanding its presence in the North American market and leveraging the region’s dynamic manufacturing ecosystem. This investment will allow the company to enhance its customer service capabilities and strengthen relationships with existing and prospective clients in North America while reducing lead times, increasing flexibility and delivering tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of the region’s manufacturing sector. WILA’s new facility will be located in an existing 52,000-square-foot building and feature state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, enabling the company to deliver cutting-edge solutions across a wide range of industries. The new facility will serve as the company’s first location in the commonwealth.

“We are excited to relocate our corporate headquarters to Louisville and establish our North American manufacturing operations,” said Hans Willemsen, CEO of WILA. “This strategic move will allow us to strengthen our market presence, improve customer service and further collaborate with our valued partners in North America. We are confident that our investment in Louisville will accelerate our growth and enable us to better serve the evolving needs of our customers.”

Founded in 1932, WILA is a global Dutch-based company that specializes in clamping, crowning and tooling systems for press brakes and distributing them to end users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world. The company employs 350 people across their two factories in the Netherlands and subsidiaries in the United States and China. WILA USA was established in February 1999 and has grown to play a key role for the company, generating over $20 million in annual sales.

This project adds to Kentucky’s thriving manufacturing sector, which includes more than 5,000 facilities and employs over 250,000 people statewide. Administration-to-date, nearly 590 new-location and expansion manufacturing projects are expected to create more than 30,500 full-time jobs with over $22.6 billion in new investments.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg noted Louisville’s rich history of automotive manufacturing and welcomes WILA USA to the region: “By leveraging our key industries, we are able to create the perfect value proposition for international companies like WILA that are looking to do business in the U.S. Our 110-year-old history of auto manufacturing and a robust talent pool paired with our reputation as a world-class logistics hub make Louisville the perfect place for these headquarter operations. We are excited to add WILA USA to the growing list of automotive manufacturing businesses that call Louisville home and continue to strengthen our advanced manufacturing ecosystem.”

WILA USA’s investment and job creation furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth, as the state builds back stronger from the effects of the pandemic.

Last week, Gov. Beshear announced there are more Kentuckians employed than ever before in state history, with more than 2 million Kentuckians employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its federal survey of business establishments.

The Governor also highlighted that 57,000 new jobs have been filled since the beginning of his administration.

The Governor also recently announced that Kentucky set the record for the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history. On May 18, Gov. Beshear announced that Kentucky set a new historic low unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is the lowest rate ever recorded in the commonwealth.