A drone manufacturer for military, security and disaster relief is moving its headquarters to Oak Creek
A drone manufacturer has landed in Oak Creek and is establishing its headquarters.
Menet Aero, LLC designs, develops and manufactures tethered “fly-by-wire” drone systems for military combat zones, security and disaster recovery operations. The drones can perform various functions including “telecommunications, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and live broadcast video feed,” according to the company's website.
Menet Aero is leasing an 8,000 square-foot space at 440 W. Bell Court to act as its headquarters and production facility, according to a May 18 announcement.
“We welcome Menet Aero as part of a growing aerospace presence in Oak Creek and stand ready to be a partner in their continued success,” said Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz.
Menet Aero also said in a news release that it will lease 38 acres of land in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin for field testing operations. The acreage is at the end of West Road north of Washington Avenue (State Highway 20). That lease is contingent on approval by the Mount Pleasant Village Board later this month.
Village of Mount Pleasant President David DeGroot said in a statement that the village is “excited to host Menet Aero’s testing operations, which adds another forward-looking business to the Village’s extensive base of technology-focused companies.”
President and Founder Peter Menet said the Oak Creek location and Mount Pleasant testing area will allow for “research and testing related to future products and advancements.”
“We’re excited to call Wisconsin our new home,” Menet said in a statement. “The global market for unmanned aircraft is experiencing significant growth. Wisconsin is well-known as an advantageous location for manufacturing precision products like ours.”
The company, founded in 2015, employs 13 engineering and technical professionals, according to the release, and plans to double its workforce by 2025. Menet Aero purchased NTP Wind Power, Inc. in February 2021 which included its PowerLine Tethered Drone Systems.
The Milwaukee 7 regional economic development organization and the Wisconsin Aerospace Partners both played a role in attracting Menet Aero to Wisconsin.
M7 Executive Director Jim Paetsch said Menet Aero is “the type of high-growth company we want and can well support in southeastern Wisconsin.”
Wisconsin Aerospace Partners Chairman Michael Adam said it’s the non-profit’s mission to “support organizations engaged with the aerospace industry in Wisconsin.”
“We are excited to use our network and support businesses that grow the economic vitality of the state and the aerospace industry,” Adam said.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter @Redheadliner.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Drone manufacturer Menet Aero is moving its headquarters to Oak Creek
