Stoughton Trailers has broken ground on its new global headquarters project, which CEO and President Bob Wahlin hopes will help elevate Stoughton as a destination for young professionals and their families.
The semitrailer manufacturer early last year announced its plans for the new headquarters, replacing the office building it had been using since the 1960s. Company leaders on Friday broke ground on the project, which will include a 53,000-square-foot facility where more than 200 workers will eventually be located.
The facility is being built on a more than 200-acre parcel of land, with about 180 acres being developed for the project, Wahlin said last week in an interview. The office building will take up around 10 acres, while 36 acres will be dedicated to prairie, ponds and wetlands and another 28 acres will be used for a community park.
Wahlin noted the project includes lots of collaborative space, a golf simulator, yoga room and exercise area, as well as an in-house health clinic staffed by nurse practitioners.
“We’re pretty happy about it; we think it’s a great example of physical, mental and business health, and we’re finally moving dirt to make it happen,” he said.
Under the latest development timeline, the headquarters building is expected to be finished by fall 2025, according to Wahlin. But other elements of the larger development will take longer, he noted. Initial plans for the space envisioned athletic spaces such as community bike paths and walking trails, an amphitheater and commercial and residential developments.
The company has worked with city officials on a “needs analysis” for the local community, which highlighted demand for athletic fields, gym space and aquatic facilities, Wahlin said. Next steps for the process include reaching out to other businesses that may be interested in aspects of the development, he noted.
Wahlin argued Stoughton is increasingly being seen as a “desired community” for young people in the Madison area to raise a family, and wants the company’s new home base to serve as an anchor for attractive community assets.
“Stoughton has a lot going on to revitalize the downtown … It’s really starting to separate itself in being a stronger choice in Dane County, particularly as a choice when young professional families consider either Stoughton or Verona, Oregon, McFarland, Waunakee, Sun Prairie — those are all strong communities, and I think this is something that can help Stoughton step forward and be one of those leading communities,” he said.
Along with that aspiration, Wahlin said the project is part of a larger internal plan to develop a workplace for “the next generation” of Stoughton employees. Along with workers at Stoughton Trailers, it will also be used by employees of other Stoughton umbrella businesses including its trucking, logistics, aftermarket parts sales, rental and leasing operations.
He noted the company plans to host training activities and other events for its workers in the new space, in hopes of fostering a more connected culture.
“At a time where people maybe have a stronger desire to work from home, we’re hoping this is a place where people can come in, not only be more comfortable and more productive to work, but also come to a place and develop beyond their immediate work responsibilities,” he said, adding the project represents “what we think is the next level … of an office environment.”
See the release.
