Henricksen, a national contract-furniture dealer that has been around since 1962, has officially traded the suburbs for the city. The company has moved its Milwaukee operations from Brookfield into Walker’s Point, opening a new experience center and showroom inside the Eagleknit Innovation Hub. The fourth-floor suite now pulls double duty as both the workplace for local staff and a hands-on showroom where clients can try out furniture and experiment with workplace design ideas.
Henricksen's new experience center
According to a Cushman & Wakefield release, Henricksen has taken roughly 16,623 square feet on Eagleknit’s fourth floor for what it is calling the Milwaukee Experience Center. The space is set up as a living showroom and a working design lab for clients and partners. The relocation follows the sale of Henricksen’s Brookfield property, which the company notes on its Henricksen site.
Design and the space
Design firm Kahler Slater crafted the layout of the new suite, keeping the building’s character features like hardwood floors, concrete columns and Cream City brick while layering in private studios and reopening a long-sealed skylight, the company told Urban Milwaukee. “We’ve always believed that the best way to show clients and partners what’s possible is to let them experience it firsthand,” Henricksen chief growth officer Chris Knoeppel said in a statement. The floor plan also adds a hospitality-focused café and a hands-on design lab to spotlight different workplace solutions.
Eagleknit: From mill to innovation hub
The historic Eagleknit building has been rebranded as Converge at Eagleknit, a mix of incubator and office space that markets itself as an innovation hub for startups and training programs, according to the building’s own site. Wangard Partners led a multimillion-dollar overhaul that included a multi-story southern addition and modern amenities while preserving historic details. The project created flexible office floors and shared common areas, as reported by the Daily Reporter.
What this means for Walker's Point
Henricksen’s move lands another private-sector tenant in the city’s growing innovation district in Walker’s Point, an area that blends tech companies, workforce-training nonprofits and startup offices. The company says the new Milwaukee location will support about 25 area employees and plans to hold a grand opening next Wednesday, according to Urban Milwaukee. Inside Eagleknit, neighbors already include training programs and small tech outfits, and Islands of Brilliance recently opened a 3,000-square-foot studio in the building.
