Wisconsin manufacturer needs 300 workers for AI cooling boom

A cooling factory seeks 300 workers

Artificial intelligence runs on servers that generate heat, and a Wisconsin manufacturer needs people to build equipment to cool them. On September 23, Modine said it was recruiting for up to 300 positions at its Franklin plant.

The openings reflect demand for data center cooling systems—Modine plans to keep hiring over the coming months.

Franklin became a cooling hub

Modine’s Franklin facility on West Oakwood Road builds Airedale data center cooling systems. The company says the plant opened in 2025 and covers about 150,000 square feet.

The Racine-based manufacturer has a dedicated production site near Milwaukee. The hiring push aims to increase output at a facility already making cooling equipment for U.S. data centers.

Assembly work starts at $23 an hour

Production assembler roles at the Franklin site start at $23 an hour, Modine says. Second shift adds a $1 hourly premium, bringing the starting rate to $24 per hour.

The company is recruiting for first and second shifts. New employees can receive health insurance and other benefits starting on their first day, according to Modine.

Training widens the applicant pool

Modine says most entry-level jobs in Franklin do not require prior manufacturing experience. It provides on-the-job training, widening access for people who have worked outside factories.

The company has posted assembler roles for the Franklin site. Applicants should review each posting for its duties and qualifications, because Modine has not described every opening as an assembler position.

Little-known fact: Modine says A.B. Modine engineered the Turbotube for the Ford Model T in 1925.

A $100 million expansion spans four states

The Franklin plant is part of a $100 million manufacturing expansion Modine announced in July 2025. The plan aims to increase production of Airedale cooling equipment for North American data centers.

Other sites are Grand Prairie, Texas; Grenada, Mississippi; and Jefferson City, Missouri. The wider four-state footprint links the Wisconsin hiring to customers beyond the state.

One customer reserved billions in capacity

In May 2026, Modine reserved capacity to supply more than $4 billion in cooling products to an unnamed data center customer. The sales are planned for 2027 through 2029.

The customer paid $165 million upfront to support manufacturing expansion. The agreement sets aside capacity for future sales, with equipment still to be made and delivered.

Little-known fact: Airedale began in 1974 after its two founders met by chance at Leeds Bradford Airport.

Data center sales nearly doubled

Modine’s data center division recorded $348.6 million in sales for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. That was up from $183.7 million a year earlier, a 90% increase.

The company said higher sales to large North American data center operators drove the growth. Those figures put a sales trend behind the Franklin hiring announcement.

Fast growth exposed production strains

More sales have put pressure on Modine’s factories. Its July earnings release said supply chain constraints limited production and temporarily hurt data center margins.

The division’s gross margin was 20.2% for the quarter, down 9.6 percentage points from a year earlier. Expanding capacity now also involves securing the necessary parts and hiring workers.

AI cooling needs air and liquid

Airedale says data centers mix air cooling with liquid systems that move heat away from chips. Even with direct chip cooling, other components heat the air around server racks.

Its catalog spans chillers, air handlers, and coolant distribution units. Operators combine equipment to fit server loads and building designs rather than using a single standard setup.

A new chiller tackles denser server racks

In January 2026, Airedale introduced a chiller rated above 3 megawatts for AI data centers. It can use outdoor conditions for free cooling when temperatures allow.

Mechanical cooling remains available when outdoor heat rises or server loads peak. The product illustrates how suppliers are adapting to powerful chips without relying on a single cooling method.

Other Wisconsin factories are selling in

Modine is part of a Wisconsin supply chain. Wisconsin Watch reported that Modine, Regal Rexnord, and Generac had amassed over $1 billion in data center orders and backlog by March 2026.

The Racine, Milwaukee, and Waukesha companies supply cooling systems, motors, and backup generators, respectively. Wisconsin factories can serve server buildings beyond the state’s borders.

Microsoft shows the local buildout

Wisconsin is building data centers of its own. Microsoft said its first Mount Pleasant facility was operational in June 2026, with nearly 550 full-time employees on site.

Nearly 10,000 construction workers contributed during the previous 2 years. Microsoft also reported direct purchases from 29 businesses in 11 Wisconsin counties, showing the reach of one campus.

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Power costs remain part of the debate

Data centers consume substantial amounts of electricity, raising questions about who pays for power infrastructure. In April 2026, Wisconsin regulators approved special rates for large We Energies customers.

Qualifying customers must sign 15-year agreements and pay costs tied to their demand. The rules target the utility’s largest power users, including data centers using at least 100 megawatts.

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How should Wisconsin balance new manufacturing jobs with the power demands of AI data centers? Share your view in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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