Master Lock to close headquarters in Oak Creek, move jobs to Illinois

Master Lock will close its corporate headquarters in Oak Creek as part of an effort by its parent company to consolidate its offices in Illinois, essentially ending a more than century-old legacy in the Milwaukee area.

Fortune Brands Innovations Inc., the company that owns Master Lock, announced the corporate office consolidation Wednesday. The move comes less than a year after Master Lock closed its manufacturing facility in Milwaukee. About 325 people lost their jobs in the plant closing.

Around 120 people work at the Master Lock headquarters in Oak Creek. All will be given the option to keep their jobs, according to a Fortune Brands spokesperson. The company hopes to relocate the Oak Creek jobs to the new headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield from July through September.

“We are asking many of our associates to relocate to Deerfield, though some associates from Oak Creek will likely choose to commute to the new office, due to their proximity,” the spokesperson said via email. “We would love for all of our highly talented associates to remain with (Fortune Brands Innovations) when their job moves to the new headquarters.”

According to Fortune Brands, the new corporate campus will feature two buildings and will have capacity for more than 1,000 employees by the end of 2027.

Employees who choose not to move to the new office will be given a 90-day notice of their last day of work but some will have a longer notice period, the spokesperson said. They will also be given severance pay and benefits.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of the community, which has played a significant role in the success of Master Lock and Fortune Brands Innovations, as well as for the talented team we have in Oak Creek,” the spokesperson wrote. 

Master Lock has a century-old history in the Milwaukee area. It was founded in Milwaukee in 1921. In 2012, former President Barack Obama toured the Milwaukee manufacturing plant to tout job growth as the United States was coming out of the Great Recession.

Master Lock moved to Oak Creek in 2002 and renovated its 120,000-square foot headquarters in 2017, according to the city of Oak Creek’s website.

In a statement, Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz said the decision to close the Master Lock headquarters will impact “the fabric of Oak Creek.” He said the company has had a big presence in the community.

“While many of the affected employees, many of whom are Oak Creek residents, face this challenging transition, our thoughts are with them,” Bukiewicz said. “The City is committed to finding new opportunities to repurpose this space. Our goal is to attract future businesses that will provide family-sustaining jobs.”

Two years ago, the company’s announcement that it would close its Milwaukee plant in 2024 was met with pushback from the community and local leaders, who urged the company to keep the plant open. 

But the facility closed as scheduled last March.

In a statement Thursday, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he was “once again deeply disappointed” in the owners of Master Lock for their decision to “move over 100 good-paying, family sustaining jobs out of Milwaukee County.”

“After shutting down the Milwaukee Master Lock manufacturing plant last year, this latest move by Fortune Brands Innovations essentially signals the end of the iconic Master Lock brand’s century-long history in our community,” Crowley stated.

“I know many of the workers who created the profit and success that is fueling the company’s move out of Milwaukee,” he added. “These hard working people deserve to be recognized and respected, especially at a time when other businesses have taken steps to accelerate their presence in Milwaukee.”