Racine County’s Unique Location Makes It a Premier Destination for the Energy, Power, and Controls Industry

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Racine County’s Unique Location

Makes It a Premier Destination for the Energy, Power, and Controls Industry

Available land and spec buildings allow businesses and suppliers in the Energy, Power, and Controls industry to benefit and grow from an ecosystem of resources in Southeast Wisconsin.

Access to a skilled labor force, strong infrastructure, attractive incentives, and growth opportunities are some of the key factors in the decision-making process for choosing a new location. Wisconsin, especially Southeastern Wisconsin and Racine County, is not only recognized as a premier location that meets all the criteria, it also offers shovel-ready sites and available buildings to support new arrivals. Further, Racine’s balanced policymaking and reasonable compliance requirements offer a stable and predictable regulatory environment.

As an added benefit, the region is recognized as a “climate haven,” conveniently located to minimize the impact of major natural disasters and supported by infrastructure capable of sustaining a growing population.

Availability Of A Skilled Labor Force Bolsters Industry Cluster

The region offers an available pool of skilled workers, particularly with expertise in electrical engineering, power systems, and controls, which is essential for the success of businesses in the industry. The State of Wisconsin employs over 115,000 workers in the energy power and controls sector.

Racine County companies employ over 30,000 professionals in manufacturing, amounting to 25% of the county’s total workforce. The County’s location quotients for selected fields related to energy, power, and controls prove its superiority over other locations (a location quotient over 1 indicates a competitive advantage in that field).

Field	Location Quotient
Electrical Engineers (172071)	1.38
Industrial Engineers (172112)	2.70
Mechanical Engineers (172141)	3.00
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (173023)	1.15
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians (173026)	1.74
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (511011)	2.81
Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers (512028)	4.99

In addition to existing talent pools, SE Wisconsin businesses benefit from ongoing collaboration and partnership with higher learning and training institutions that focus on customized training and a pipeline of young talent that ensures a prepared workforce. The UW system awards more than 41,000 degrees annually. In 2024, nearly 5,000 engineering degrees and certificates were awarded by Wisconsin Universities, ensuring a robust talent pipeline.

Businesses have access to the talent and resource support from the seventeen two- and four-year college institutions across the region involved in the Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA). Racine County businesses are no exception. RCEDC maintains direct relationships with Gateway Technical College UW Parkside, and Carthage College to ensure businesses find the connection that best meets their needs.

Dependable And Connected Infrastructure Ensures Locational Success

Racine County’s access to reliable infrastructure, including electricity, water, and transportation networks, is crucial for manufacturing and distribution activities.

Racine County is served by We Energies, one of the Midwest’s largest electric and natural gas utilities, providing reliable and ample power supplies for industrial operations. We Energies has a system-wide reliability rate of over 99.9% for its customers and was named best in the Midwest for 10 consecutive years (source: WeEnergies).

One of Racine County’s prime locations in the Village of Mount Pleasant saw a $1.2 billion investment in public infrastructure, including upgrades to roads, water, sanitary sewer, and power. The power investment included $147 million in electrical upgrades with multiple redundancies and 1,000 megawatt capacity as well as $173 million in natural gas upgrades with multiple redundancies and 1 million MCF capacity (source: issuu).

Racine County’s central location along the I-94 corridor and proximity to two major international airports, General Mitchell International Airport 23 miles to the north and O’Hare International Airport 52 miles to the south, as well as access to 33% of the nation’s population within 500 miles, gives the County a strategic advantage. In addition, the area boasts the second shortest average commute time among U.S. urban centers at 22 minutes. Racine County also benefits from access to additional forms of transportation such as passenger and cargo rail networks, as well as access to ports on Lake Michigan. These multimodal transportation infrastructure advantages allow companies with a focus on energy, power, and controls to efficiently reach both domestic and international markets.

Established Supply Chain Networks

Racine County’s biggest competitive advantage is its location. The county offers close proximity to suppliers of raw materials, components, and equipment. As a result, transportation costs and lead times are significantly reduced, leading to more efficient operations.

The State of Wisconsin boasts more than 1,000 companies in the energy, power, and control sectors ensuring a robust supply-chain network. Companies such as Rockwell Automation, and Johnson Controls choose to call SE Wisconsin Home. Racine County’s industrial heritage and manufacturing expertise provide an additional supportive ecosystem for companies, such as Twin Disc and Modine (source: WEDC)

Business-Friendly Environment Regulations And Financial Incentives

Resources that simplify the process of understanding and complying with regulations related to zoning and building codes are readily available in Racine County. In addition, tax incentives, subsidies, and overall business-friendly policies throughout the State and the region have significantly impacted the bottom lines and long-term success and growth of business in the industry.

State (WEDC), regional (M7), and local (RCEDC) entities offer tailored support services, site selection assistance, and connections to local resources to help companies thrive in the area. These organizations provide comprehensive assistance and resources to help companies establish or expand their operations in the state.

The State of Wisconsin through WEDC offers competitive tax credit programs to incentivize companies in the energy, power, and control industries. Locally, in Racine County, multiple incentive programs exist including tax incremental financing (TIF) and forgivable loan funds. By State statute, Wisconsin’s corporate income tax for manufacturers is 0.4% and in 2015 Wisconsin became a right-to-work state.

Innovative Research & Development Ecosystem

Racine County’s access to universities, research institutions, and innovation hubs encourages active collaboration, supporting research and development efforts and driving innovation within the industry.

The State of Wisconsin University (UW) system prides itself on academic excellence in theoretical and applied sciences. Through the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, and more, the State of Wisconsin is investing in research and creating a competitive advantage as a world leader in energy conservation to generation and transmission (source: WEDC).

As a global center for the industry, companies throughout the region are performing cutting-edge research and development by partnering with world-class academic institutions committed to addressing the world’s energy challenges.

Racine County emerges as a premier destination that fulfills all these criteria. With its unparalleled location, skilled labor force, strong infrastructure, proximity to suppliers, favorable regulatory environment and incentives, as well as access to research and development, Racine County is clearly an exceptional choice. Available sites and buildings further support businesses and suppliers’ ability to more quickly locate and become a member of the Energy Power and Controls> ecosystem in Southeast Wisconsin.