Kelmann Restoration is trading Wauwatosa for Milwaukee, shifting its headquarters to a single, much larger campus on the city’s northwest side and pulling several suburban operations under one roof. Company leaders say the move will tighten up how crews and office staff work together as demand for restoration services keeps climbing.
Plans for a much bigger campus
The company is moving into the former Welch Allyn manufacturing facility at 7865 N. 86th St., where it plans to more than double its footprint by adding about 20,000 square feet of warehouse space and roughly 200 parking spots, as reported by BizTimes. The site is slated to bring together employees from Kelmann Homes, Badger Remediation and the Kelmann Cares Foundation so the company can stage equipment and crews from a single central hub instead of multiple scattered campuses.
Kelmann has purchased the property and budgeted around $6 million for renovations and site work, and the company said it paid roughly $1.2 million for the site, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The paper also reports the move is expected to add at least 10 jobs, bringing the headcount to about 135. Company officials told the Journal Sentinel that operating out of one larger facility should make it easier to coordinate crews and speed up internal communication.
Company history and operations
Founded in 1973, Kelmann Restoration focuses on cleaning up fire, water and storm damage across southeastern Wisconsin, according to the company’s website. In recent years it has operated multiple campuses, with its current headquarters in Wauwatosa and additional locations in New Berlin and West Allis, where teams respond to emergency calls around the clock.
Site context and local impact
The 7865 N. 86th St. property is listed in city and building records as a light-industrial site, with assessment and tax information tracked by Urban Milwaukee. Neighborhood leaders say consolidating operations there could bring more consistent weekday activity to Milwaukee’s northwest side, and Kelmann told BizTimes that the expanded warehouse space and additional parking are designed to support future growth and greater service capacity.
“We’re able to help people on the worst days,” General Manager Adam Nelson said, noting that the relocation is meant to improve communication inside the company rather than respond to any single recent storm, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The project is slated for completion by fall 2026, with staff and operations shifting to the new campus in phases as the space is built out.
