Rebel to expand in former Calibre plant

Disinfectant wipe manufacturer Rebel Converting is remaining loyal to its Saukville roots, purchasing a new manufacturing facility in the village’s industrial park.

“Saukville has been a great community to work with and this is proof that we are committed here to staying here,” President Mike Kryshak said. 

Although the company shifted its headquarters to Milwaukee 18 months ago, manufacturing will remain in Saukville.

Kryshak said the new facility will bring 70 jobs to the Saukville area because of customer demand.

Rebel Converting will occupy the 98,732-square-foot former Calibre facility at 655 N. Dekora Woods Blvd. that it bought on April 15  for $5.75 million. The building is in the same industrial park where Rebel was formerly headquartered. 

The new plant sits on 15 acres of land that Kryshak said provides room for expansion.

“There will be a lot of construction going on and we wished we knew about this property a year and a half ago,” Kryshak said. 

Rebel will move one of its high-speed canister wet wipe lines to the new facility from Milwaukee. Kryshak said the new facility will move 50 jobs from Milwaukee to Saukville and 20 others will be created. 

Kryshak said the new building is necessary because sales have grown exponentially during the coronavirus pandemic and he expects consumers to continue buying disenfectant wipes.

“When the pandemic subsides, we expect people to continue using our products because they understand the importance of hygiene and cleanliness,” he said.

Calibre Inc announced the closure of its facilities in Saukville and Grafton in late 2020, with a series of layoffs starting early this year. Rebel, which currently employs around 150 people, is hoping to re-employ some of the workers who were laid off from the Calibre announcement, Kryshak said. 

“We want to keep the talent we have here in Saukville, and we are excited for this new opportunity,” he said. “We want to remain in Saukville for years to come and keep supporting our local community from where we started.”