Milwaukee Master Lock plant closed; Amani neighborhood impacted
MILWAUKEE - Master Lock ended operations and closed its Milwaukee plant after more than 100 years in March 2024.
Hundreds of jobs moved out of the city, and people in the city’s Amani neighborhood say the closure had an impact.
"The Amani Neighborhood was once a thriving neighborhood," said Dominican Center Executive Director Maricha Harris.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
At the Dominican Center in Milwaukee, Maricha Harris speaks about the past and the present.
Master Lock plant
"The neighborhood today faces significant challenges, but its because of the decades upon decades of disinvestment in this community," added Harris.
The non-profit works to uplift the community.
FOX6 sat down with Harris shortly after Master Lock shut down operations at its Milwaukee plant.
"Master Lock is just reflective of that same history that we’ve seen over the past several decades," said Harris.
Milwaukee Master Lock plant closing, union fights to save jobs
In a major blow to Milwaukee, Master Lock, a long-standing manufacturing plant, is set to close, with operations ending in March 2024. The announcement leaves hundreds of union workers uncertain about their future.
It’s another manufacturer leaving this part of the city, an area that once boomed with industry.
"I miss A.O. Smith. We had a hope with Talgo at first," said Christal West.
"The manufacturing jobs have left - so when the jobs left, money left, a lot of divestment happened," said Harris.
After the closure, Harris and Christal West, who live nearby, hope companies invest in this area.
"Give where it’s most important. You see future leaders come out of this neighborhood," said West.
They hope that includes more funding for green jobs and sustainable industries.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
"Companies are closing… but we’re not trying to keep the buildings open, that are doing the work," said West.
"We want employers, we want grocery stories, we want amenities to locate in or near the Amani neighborhood so that people who live in the neighborhood have access," added Harris.
Before it closed, Master Lock employed a couple hundred people.