Steel King establishes new world headquarters in Stevens Point
By Brandi Makuski
Steel King Industries has got some new digs.
The manufacturer and integrator of material handling products and systems is transitioning from its former location at 2700 Chamber St. and into a newly-renovated former Skyward property at 5233 Coye Dr.
The reason behind the move was simple, according to Brian R. Pfannes, president at Steel King.
“We needed a bit more breathing room,” Pfannes said while giving the Metro Wire an early peek of the new space in late December. “Our employees were in corners and not having much space; or a defined space.”
The former Skyward facility in the Stevens Point Business Park was the ideal locale for Steel King. It’s close to I-39, and Pfannes said the company had invested heavily in the nearby AMETA Center.
“It’s a good spot, we have a good partnership with Mid-State, and hopefully we can steer some grads this way,” he said.
Employees began moving out of the 17,000-square-foot Chamber St. facility and into the new 50,000-square-foot space on Coye Dr. in early January.
The new location boasts a modern and cozy reception area, employee lounges and communal dining area, team working space, a client presentation area, dedicated office space for different departments, an engineering section, research and development space, an employee fitness center, and state-of-the-art tech throughout.
Previously, the company had to rent space at The Holiday Inn & Convention Center to host company-wide gatherings or host industry meetings. Not anymore.
“We completely gutted this place,” said Pfannes, who’s been with the company for 11 years. “We wanted a facility that our employees would be proud of, and our customers would come in and recognize us as a place that’s ‘got it going on’ in our industry. It’s amazing how many people don’t know what we do, and how big of a market that we serve.”
Steel King opened at its Chamber St. location in 1970. When company leaders began looking at options for relocation, Pfannes said staying in Stevens Point was a no-brainer.
“That was an easy one for us; we started here in 1970 and we wanted to invest back into a community that’s invested in us,” he said. “We’re a multimillion-dollar player in a multibillion-dollar market; we’re not the largest player in this space, but we sure have our niche.”
A public ribbon-cutting is planned in May.
