American Girl to cease Wilmot operations

Closure affects 135 employees

By Jason Arndt
Editor

After 21 years in Wilmot, American Girl plans to phase out operations, the company wrote in a statement on Thursday.

The impending closure, according to a statement, affects 135 regular full- and part-time employees at the distribution and call center on Fox River Road.

“American Girl has been facing headwinds for the past several quarters,” a statement issued by the Middleton-based company wrote on Thursday. “While difficult, the decision to consolidate operations is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.”

The statement, meanwhile, said the company will close the distribution center on June 29 followed by the call center, which had been scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2019.

Warehouse activities at Wilmot will then be transferred to the DeForest and Middleton facilities in Dane County, the company said.

Julie Parks, of American Girl, said the facility has served the western Kenosha County community since 1997.

Of the 135 employees, Parks said 69 are regular full-time while another 39 work part-time. The other 27 work under part-time levels.

“The company is committed to treating all affected employees fairly and with utmost dignity and respect, including offering outplacement services and other transition assistance to eligible employees,” the company wrote in the statement.

Wilmot employees, the company said, are welcome to apply for any open positions created at either Dane County facility.

For more on the closure, see the April 27 print edition of the Twin Lakes Report.


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