The 53,000-square-foot building becomes the material handling and lifting equipment manufacturer’s third facility, with two existing sites in nearby Rockford, Illinois.
The site, on State Street, includes a three-story property on one side and a two-story structure on the other. It is connected by additional office space, as well as the electrical and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) infrastructure that supports the facilities.
Administrative workers — including finance, sales, marketing, and some engineering support staff — have moved from the manufacturing plant to the new location. The move will help facilitate growth, as the company has increased the overall workforce from 120 full-time employees to nearly 200 in the past year.
Doug Stitt, president and CEO at Caldwell, said: “It is going to allow us to grow our company, host sales and training events, and get our business team all under one roof. Because the building and everything in it were in such great shape, including conference rooms, we were able to move in right away. Several people had asked us if we’d be in within six months and were shocked when we told them we were already in and operational.”
Caldwell is in the process of adding finishing touches, like signage and security systems. It represents something of a homecoming for Stitt — a former South Beloit High School and Beloit College graduate.
He said: “Over the years, we have prioritized investment in our plant and equipment. However, the office and administrative side of things have been considered secondary, at least from an investment standpoint. We had a need and desire to ultimately give our folks in the office environment something they could be proud of that represented how we feel about our business.”
To some extent, the relocation is a legacy of the Covid era — for two reasons. First, as expanding administrative teams returned to the office, it was apparent that the business had outgrown the existing facilities. Second, the company has become more adept at working remotely.
Stitt explained: “We all can operate much better virtually. Additionally, we encourage and trust our people to be in the building they need to be to accomplish their job best. We have three locations, but they are all still very proximate to one another. Multiple locations can also help competency. A company that does everything within the same four walls may approach certain operational issues from the standpoint of, if we don’t get it right, the people to fix it are right here. You no longer have that dependency when you go to multiple locations.”
New training facilities chime with Caldwell’s ongoing commitment to continuous professional development (CPD) and education. Stitt said: “The new Beloit facility will serve as our primary training center. Even as businesses face increased costs, investment in training must continue. We have a long history of training both in the field and within our own space; we look forward to building on that and expanding into different forms of training across our product lines.
