Wildeck, Inc., is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since its founding in 1976, Wildeck has evolved from an engineering division of a steel supply company into a manufacturing powerhouse, providing the structural backbone for the world’s most complex supply chains.
Wildeck’s heritage traces back to 1944 and the Williams Steel and Supply Company, a steel supply company based in Milwaukee, Wis. As industrial demand surged in the post-WWII era, businesses faced a persistent challenge: a lack of usable floor space. Custom-designed Williams platforms, known as “Wildeck Mezzanines,” became so successful that by 1976, the company established them as a separate division to meet demand.
Today, Wildeck’s product portfolio extends far beyond mezzanines. The company is also a leader in Vertical Reciprocating Conveyors (VRCs), Rideable Material Lifts (RMLs), custom ladders, stairways, work stands, and forklift impact barriers. As a custom solutions provider, Wildeck products are uniquely designed and made for each project application. These include massive multi-level platforms for global e-commerce leaders, to specialized access platforms for aircraft maintenance applications.
While Wildeck has been in business for 50 years, a key organizational change occurred in 2007 when employees approved an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Now, Wildeck is a subsidiary of Holden Industries, Inc., a 100 percent employee-owned company.
Employee ownership fosters a culture in which every employee has a personal stake in the company’s success. This collective commitment was never more evident than in 2020, when Wildeck’s critical support of major online retailers led to its designation as an essential business, allowing operations to continue uninterrupted throughout the pandemic to keep the nation’s supply chain moving.
“Fifty years in business is a testament to the skill and dedication of our entire team,” said Wildeck President Dan Lorenz. “We’ve spent five decades meeting our customers’ exact needs with highly engineered solutions, and that does not happen without great employee-owners. We look forward to leading this industry for the next 50 years.”
Wildeck’s 50th anniversary arrives after a recent milestone for the company. In 2024, Wildeck completed its new, state-of-the-art headquarters in Waukesha, Wis., consolidating its three previous Wisconsin locations onto a 21.97-acre campus that features a significantly larger production facility. Simultaneously, the company expanded its Western operations with a new office and manufacturing location in Tolleson, Ariz.
To celebrate this 50-year milestone, Wildeck will host a special event for its employee-owners and retirees later this year, expressing its appreciation to those who have helped make the company a success.
