Opus Development Corporation to Continue Expansion of Weyco Headquarters

Building will connect newly acquired warehouse to existing facilities; add 112,000 square feet to headquarters

The Milwaukee office of Opus Development Corporation (Opus) announced today a project with Weyco Group, Inc. (Weyco) to expand its Glendale, Wis. headquarters. Opus will construct a new building to link Weyco’s main facilities to a newly acquired 80,150 square-foot warehouse adjacent to the property.

Weyco, a shoe distributor, acquired the vacant warehouse in December 2011, to meet a need for additional product storage space brought on by Weyco’s acquisition of the Combs Company in 2011. The new construction and building purchase will result in approximately 112,000 square feet of additional space.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in June 2012, with completion scheduled for October 2012. When complete, the project will boost Weyco’s total space to more than 1,030,150 square feet, including office, warehouse, and distribution service space.

“Weyco has grown quite a bit since we first built its main headquarters building,” said Julie Ledger, vice president and general manager for Opus Development Corporation. “This is the fourth major expansion Weyco has made to their headquarters facility to meet the growing needs of the company.”

In 1998, Opus completed a 350,000-square-foot manufacturing plant for Weyco on the former site of the Crown Cork & Seal building in Glendale's Estabrook Corporate Center. In 2001, as the company grew and acquired new businesses, it bought a 160,000-square-foot building that Opus had developed near the main headquarters. In 2003, Opus built and designed a 276,000-square-foot expansion that connected the two original buildings. Last year, Opus added a 52,000-square-foot mezzanine to provide additional storage for new products that came along with Weyco’s acquisition of the Combs Company. In December 2011, Weyco purchased an 80,150-square-foot warehouse building developed by Opus. The building, which is adjacent to the main headquarters, was vacant when purchased. Opus will now be working to connect this latest addition to the main building.

Opus Development Corporation is one of the region’s leading full-service real estate development and design-build firms. In addition to its work with Weyco, recent notable projects completed by the Milwaukee office include Waukesha’s Shoppes at Fox River, The Honey Creek Corporate Center, multiple buildings at Marquette University, including the new law school and Engineering Hall, Northwestern Mutual’s Franklin Campus and Oakwood Crossing Business Center in Oak Creek.