Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation Stories and Data

Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation Stories

Milwaukee Mall
Former discount retail center in Milwaukee’s Park West neighborhood. Former home of a Sears department store, which closed in 1981. The city’s taxkey for the property also includes a 18,813 single-story building used for retail and an auto repair business (built in 1923). In addition, a one-story day care center is included at 5,624 sq. ft. (built in 1960). The complex sits on a 6.182 acre lot.
Saz’s Catering Inc/Saz’s Festivals LLC
Saz’s has been a Milwaukee staple since owner Steve Sazama opened Saz’s State House in 1976. Since the restaurant’s inception, Saz’s has also grown into the state’s largest off-premise catering company via Saz’s Catering, Inc. In 2015, Saz’s had the opportunity to purchase and renovate a 28,000 sq.. building in Walker’s Point to house the operations of Saz’s Catering, Inc. and Saz’s Festivals, LLC. e new property has multiple functions, serving as a commercial kitchen and providing over 16,000 sq. of warehouse and storage space. e property was also renovated to include 7,000 sq.. of office space. MEDC and Bank Mutual financed the property purchase and renovations. Globally, Saz’s employs 215 people with plans to hire 35 moreemployees in the coming years.
Hilmot
Hilmot was founded in 2005 by Tony Hill and Mark King aer they purchased the assets of Midwest Conveyor Systems. The company designs and builds Motorized Drive Roller (MDR) conveyor systems, primarily for the manufacturing and distributing industries. The company moved its headquarters and operations from multiple Waukesha facilities to a single Milwaukee location because the new building provided a more efficient space for the company to grow. MEDC, along with BMO Harris Bank, assisted in financing the purchase and renovations of Hilmot’s new location. The company currently employs 113 full- and 15 part-time employees, and has plans to hire 30 more full-time employees in the next two years.
JCP Construction LLC
JCP Construction LLC, was founded in January 2008by the Phelps brothers, James, Clion, and Jalin. the company’s initial focus was multi-family home renovations. In 2009, the company matured into a commercial construction company with a focus on self-performing, selective demolition, cast-in-place concrete, and carpentry projects. MEDC, along with Pyramax Bank, financed the purchase and renovationsof the company’s new building on MLK Drive for its day-to-day operations, as well as to provide tenant space for a long-established Milwaukee nonprofit entity. JCP currently employs 16 people, and plans to hire two more full-time and one part-time position over the next two years.

Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation Fact Sheet

Testimonials

The CDFI Fund, and the organizations it serves, enable greater numbers of people to participate in the US economy in a positive way, creating jobs and businesses, while producing vital goods and services.

-Barbara Kueny, Kueny Consulting LLC, Milwaukee, WI

This is greater than just the CDFI Fund. There are countless of small businesses that cannot get financial support in a traditional lending institution.

-Terese M. Caro, Legacy Redevelopment Corporation, Milwaukee, WI

Our Native communities are very close knit and culturally dependent upon the community to hold those sacred ways in place. Our communities need the CDFIs as they better understand and serve the community members in a way that is critical to the success of home ownership, small business support and primarily teaching the outside world’s credit system and how it affects each member. We strive to strengthen the financial wellbeing of our communities where government and the outside world falls short.

-Becky Albert-Breed, First Nations Community Financial, Black River Falls, WI

Map of Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation CDFI Branches and Stories