Wisconsin Department of Commerce Awards Grant to Skana Aluminum Co.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has announced that Skana Aluminum Co., based in Manitowoc, Wis., will receive a $650,000 Blight Elimination and Brownfield Redevelopment grant from the Department of Commerce. The grant money will be used to help redevelop the former Koenig & Vits manufacturing site, located in Manitowoc.

"Brownfield grants are an excellent tool to help revitalize contaminated properties, while creating opportunities for future construction projects and job growth," says Governor Walker in a release. "I am pleased we could assist this new company in its efforts to return a vacant manufacturing site to productive use, creating jobs and new investment in the Manitowoc area."

"It took the cooperation of forward-thinking financial institutions and an enlightened Department of Commerce to work with our entrepreneurial investors to reopen this massive operation in Wisconsin," says Tom Testwuide, Skana Aluminum’s chairman and CEO.

Skana Aluminum Co. has initiated aluminum rolling mill production that converts raw material into finished coil products. The finished product will be sold to domestic and international end users and distributors for further manufacturing.

The funds will be used for site clearance, building rehabilitation and environmental remediation. The project is expected to create 110 jobs within five years and represents a total investment of $13.8 million.