Our Services: Success Stories

The company:

In 2001, Charter Specialty Steel unveiled a new $60 million production facility in Fond du Lac, Wis., bringing up to 150 new jobs to the area.

The expansion accommodates a new product line — stainless steel and other highly engineered carbon and alloy steels, primarily for use in automotive and industrial applications.

Site requirements:

The site location process began in 1998 when the Wisconsin Department of Commerce contacted Alliant Energy economic development expert Bruce Kepner requesting information for an anonymous high-energy user seeking a location near a good work force with access to a major highway and railroad.

Kepner supplied information on all communities within Alliant Energy’s service territory that met this description.

However, another Charter prerequisite was that the land be in a so-called attainment area, where air quality standards are not an issue. This quickly reduced the number of communities under consideration.

Additionally, ensuring an adequate power supply was crucial - Charter Steel requires tremendous amounts of electricity to operate furnaces that melt scrap metal for conversion to steel bars.

Site solution:

Kepner teamed up with other Alliant Energy officials and began meeting regularly with Charter officials to discuss each of the company’s needs and concerns.

The end result was Charter locating its expansion project on a 200-acre plot in Fond du Lac — a site that did not require the cost of relocating a major transmission line.