Company success story: Sub-Zero
Products: Sub-Zero Group Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of cooking and preservation appliances including refrigerators, freezers, wine storage units, built-in ovens, range tops, microwaves, warming drawers, outdoor grills and more.
Location: Headquartered in Madison with manufacturing facilities in Fitchburg and Goodyear, AZ
Employees: 1,700+ employees in Wisconsin
Leadership: James J. Bakke is president and CEO of Sub-Zero and is the third generation of the Bakke family to lead the company. He was named president in 1990 and CEO in 1992. Prior to that, he worked for 10 years in various positions in the company, including assembler, customer service representative, regional sales manager, plant manager, national sales manager and vice president.
Market: Founded in 1945, Sub-Zero is the leading U.S.-based manufacturer of refrigeration, freezer and wine storage products. Sub-Zero, the preservation specialist, pioneered the concept of dual refrigeration, ensuring that food stays fresher longer. With the acquisition of Wolf Range Company in 2000, Sub-Zero added the industry specialist in residential cooking appliances, with products including ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, warming drawers and ventilation equipment. In 2018, Sub-Zero launched the Cove brand of dishwashers, the specialist in all things clean. Cove joins Sub-Zero and Wolf, establishing the brands as corporate companions and a complete kitchen family.
Business success: Sub-Zero is expanding its operations at its Fitchburg location with a new 350,000-square-foot research and development facility—a $70 million project expected to create 100 new jobs over the next three years.
Wisconsin business environment benefits: As an incentive for Sub-Zero’s job creation and capital investment, WEDC is providing the company with up to $1 million in performance-based tax credits, contingent on actual job creation and capital investment.
INsource newsletter
July 2019
