Milwaukee-based industrial automation company Rockwell Automation will build its new 1 million-square-foot plant in New Berlin.
The location was formally announced during Rockwell’s earnings call for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, held on Thursday morning.
The company first announced in November that it planned to build a new 1 million-square-foot plant in the Milwaukee area on a “greenfield” site, but did not disclose the location at that time.
The facility, which could become Rockwell’s largest manufacturing site in the world, will house advanced automation, robotics and digital systems that “showcase modern manufacturing.”
Although they identified the municipality, executives with Rockwell Automation have still not confirmed the exact location of the New Berlin site for the plant.
Last year, a Milwaukee commercial real estate industry source told BizTimes Media the company was seriously considering a parcel of land southeast of Moorland Road and Grange Avenue for the plant.
On Thursday, another commercial real estate industry source said that a 100-acre site there has been on the market and is the most likely location in New Berlin for the Rockwell Automation plant. That source also said city officials have expressed a willingness to provide tax incremental financing for a development at that site.
The 100-acre site, located south and across Grange Avenue from the Costco store at 15300 W. Grange Ave., has been listed for sale by Milwaukee-based The Dickman Company, for $8.8 million. The listing broker for the site, Roger Siegel of The Dickman Co., declined to comment Thursday.
“Rockwell Automation plans to develop a new campus in New Berlin, Wisconsin, on a site that provides access to regional transportation, infrastructure, and utilities,” said the company in a statement. “Specific location details will be shared as part of the formal city application and approval process.”
Officials with the City of New Berlin could not immediately be reached for comment.
Construction of the new facility is part of Rockwell Automation’s recently announced $2 billion investment aimed at boosting productivity across its existing facilities.
During Thursday morning’s earnings call, Rockwell chairman and CEO Blake Moret highlighted the company’s ongoing operational transformation and how all of the company’s facilities will play an important role in the change.
“While a lot has been made of the new greenfield (site) that we’re building here in southeastern Wisconsin, we’re working already to make the investments in talent, infrastructure, and technology in our existing facilities,” said Moret.
Improving workflows across Rockwell’s manufacturing footprint will allow the company to become more efficient.
Moret highlighted the company’s plant in Singapore, which is a site that recently experienced an operational transformation. That location implemented changes related to labor efficiency, time to competency, and energy usage.
“We’re actively taking those learnings and best practices and rolling these into our existing facilities around the world,” said Moret.
Rockwell also recently purchased its facility in Mequon, which had been leased by the company.
“These two projects are aligned with our announced investments in our plants, talent and digital infrastructure, and underscore our commitment to and confidence in the U.S. market,” said Moret.
Rockwell’s first quarter reported sales were $2.1 billion, up 12% from $1.8 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
Business related to data centers grew by double digits in the first quarter. AI-driven power constraints are driving data center operators’ adoption of gas-powered micro grids. This is driving demand for Rockwell’s industrial controls in power and cooling.
The company also continues to work on structural productivity actions including efforts to address supply chain efficiency and commercial spending.
“The long-term trends driving automatic and digital transformation remain strong,” said Moret. “Rockwell is well-positioned to lead as customers accelerate their factory of the future initiatives and move toward more autonomous operations.”