When it comes to growth in Sheboygan County, you don’t need to look far to see things moving forward. Multiple sectors are experiencing growth simultaneously as top employers expand and municipal officials work with them on creating more housing to accommodate the workers they need.
“I tend to think of it as like a weight scale,” says TJ Crowns, director of economic development for The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp. “If you get too heavy with manufacturing and not enough on housing, the scale is going to tip.”
Some of the key commercial/industrial developments in the county include:
- The 200,000‑square‑foot Amazon facility at the SouthPointe Enterprise campus in Sheboygan, expected to be completed May 2027
- A new 110,000‑square‑foot building underway at the Vollrath Company’s corporate headquarters
- Relocation and expansion of Northland Plastics to a new manufacturing facility near Weeden Creek Road and County Highway A in Sheboygan — a project that is currently progressing through the city’s development process, Crowns says
- Sargento’s new 384,000‑square‑foot production facility in Plymouth
- Sartori’s addition of about 68,000 square feet for new converting and packaging lines in Plymouth
- Carbliss’ exploration of the former Kmart property in Plymouth as a potential new headquarters and destination, potentially with a taproom and other recreational amenities
“Collectively, these projects demonstrate the breadth of economic development activity taking place throughout the county and the range of opportunities being created for residents, businesses and investors,” Crowns says.
The county’s employers recognize the need for worker housing and have been a part of the process; Sargento, Kohler, Johnsonville and Masters Gallery Foods each contributed $2 million to the Forward Fund, which supports SCEDC’s housing initiative. Eligible buyers do not need to work for one of those four companies but must have a job offer in Sheboygan County, Crowns says.
Among the projects that has been assisted by the Forward Fund is Scholars Ridge in Plymouth, a 102‑single‑family‑home neighborhood on a 32‑acre property adjacent to Plymouth High School with its first homes expected in 2027. That SCEDC project also is supported by the city of Plymouth, utilized American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to acquire the property, and received a WHEDA infrastructure‑access loan, Crowns says. The project is designed to prevent infrastructure costs from being added directly to individual home prices.
“That one’s really exciting,” Crowns says. “It’s the first of its kind single‑family infrastructure loan through WHEDA. It just shows how state and local organizations can come together.”
Another Forward Fund project is Founders’ Pointe, which is in its second phase in Sheboygan Falls with 41 new homes. The original 54‑home development is fully completed and sold. Most buyers were first‑time homeowners and about a third relocated to Sheboygan County, “demonstrating the impact these investments can have on workforce housing and homeownership,” Crowns says.
Additionally, the North Town project in the town of Sheboygan is a 99‑acre mixed‑use development that will include more than 600 residential units, retail and commercial space, a hotel and a public town square.
In 2024, the city of Sheboygan conducted a housing study that included census information and discussion with major employers, says Taylor Zeinert, director of planning and development for the city. That information showed the need for about 5,000 new housing units to keep up with demand. But with an anticipated influx of jobs, even that estimate may be short, Zeinert says. The city has approved 2,000 housing units so far that are either under construction or will be soon, she says.
“The city is delighted to see this type of growth,” Zeinert says. “I always love talking about Sheboygan and the growth that we are experiencing because this is not something that the entire country has.”
A few of the housing projects in the city include:
- The Malibu apartments, a 210‑unit market‑rate complex on Kite Beach, currently underway and expected to be completed in 2027
- The Riverview District, which will include about 283 apartments along about 800 feet of Sheboygan River front on the former Mayline property on North Commerce Street; phase one is expected to be complete in spring
- Harbor View Lofts, a 126‑unit, five‑story apartment building at the former Wells Fargo site at 6th Street and Wisconsin Avenue
“We have been really thankful that the council has greenlit a lot of these projects,” Zeinert says.
One of the county’s largest residential growth opportunities is Timberwood Meadows, planned for the former Poth and Gartman Farm property. It will establish 1,514 housing units starting in 2027 and continuing over five phases ending in 2042.
“It’s going to be a massive project,” Zeinert says. “City staff has been really intentional about bringing this project forward and making sure that it’s not just a sea of apartment complexes, but rather mixed uses.”
City and county leaders, companies and the community have all been working together to be smart about growth and move it forward.
“It’s really cool to see this multifaceted city shine in so many ways, and I think that speaks to our overwhelming success,” she says.
With all the recent growth in the region, “it feels like there’s some wind back in the sails,” says Dane Checolinski, commercial real estate advisor for NAI Pfefferle and former director of the SCEDC. “It felt like we were going through a little bit of a lull there for a while.” In addition to the larger company expansions, there are plenty of smaller companies and entrepreneurs moving in as well, and lots of quality‑of‑life activity, such as the reopening of Nutt Hill Winter Park in Plymouth and a potential walking bridge over the Sheboygan River.
“There’s always been talk of extending bike trails and mountain bike trails and things of that nature,” Checolinski says. “To me, that’s the cool stuff.”
Zeinert says her office also has been strongly focused on building community engagement to connect with the people of Sheboygan and learn what they want to see next: “Is that more apartments? Is that more single‑family homes? I’m really looking forward to seeing this next phase of development truly informed by the community and continuing on that path.”
