OAK CREEK, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Master Lock is exiting the state.

On Thursday, Master Lock’s parent company, Fortune Brands Innovations, announced it’s consolidating its brands to a new headquarter location in Deerfield, Illinois.

This means Master Lock in Oak Creek is closing, impacting roughly 120 employees.

What You Need To Know

  • Master Lock's Oak Creek facility is closing; roughly 120 employees are impacted by the closure

  • Master Lock's parent company, Fortune Brands Innovations, is consolidating its brand to a new headquarter in Deerfield, Illinois

  • A company representative said employees affected will have the chance to keep their jobs at the Deerfield office, which is about an hour commute, one way, from the Oak Creek location

A company representative said employees affected will have the chance to keep their jobs at the Deerfield office, which is about an hour commute, one way, from the Oak Creek location. 

City of Oak Creek officials said they are saddened with this decision, but said it was out of their control.

"These are certainly, you know, decisions that are made at a bigger corporate level and, you know, they're doing what's best in their strategic interests," Oak Creek City Administrator Andrew Vickers said.

Master Lock has been a Wisconsin brand for more than 100 years. It was founded in Milwaukee by Harry Soref in 1921.

Through the decades, it became a global household name.

“Oh, that’s sad,” Oak Creek resident Peggy Koch remarked when she heard about the closure.

She said she knows how iconic Master Lock is.

“I just think of all locks. You know, they are like, the master of building locks, so it’s kind of sad to see them go,” she said.

The Oak Creek closure comes after Master Lock’s Milwaukee manufacturing facility closed in 2023.

“We’re a relatively small slice of that overall business presence here in the Milwaukee area. But nonetheless, these are still employees that are affected and, you know, having to face a much longer commute or looking for new employment opportunities, we're always thinking about that first and foremost,” Vickers said. 

On the same day that the closure of Master Lock was announced comes the plan to open a Buc-ee’s in Oak Creek.

The national travel center chain does not have a presence yet in the Badger State.

While many Master Lock employees are weighing with the decision to move, commute or find new employment, the addition of Buc-ee’s boasts new employment and economic opportunities for the city.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Master Lock office in Oak Creek office will officially shutdown between July and September.

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