Kitchen equipment company will expand its Menomonee Falls operations

A Menomonee Falls-based company is preparing to expand its headquarters after experiencing significant growth.

Alto-Shaam announced that it will be making more room at W164 N9221 Water St. The company sells commercial kitchen equipment, including multi-cook ovens, convection ovens and carving stations.

Steve Maahs, the company's president and chief operating officer, said Alto-Shaam started 2018 with a record first quarter while the food-service industry experienced slow to no growth overall.

He attributed the success to the solutions-based nature of its products and a commitment to sticking to his company's mission and values.

In addition, Alto-Shaam grew from employing 291 people in 2010 to 505 in 2018. Maahs said that growth was three times the rate of the industry.

The privately held company has a gain-sharing program that paid out a total of $4 million to employees this month, based on their performance in 2018.

Headquarter changes are slated to start this spring, including an expansion of the facility that houses finished goods, new technology on the manufacturing floor, a new central lobby, an all-employee gathering space and renovated office buildings.