An affiliate of Pewaukee-based Walbec Group has purchased the former ABB office building in Wauwatosa, where it plans to move its corporate headquarters.

The three-story, 91,000-square-foot building at 1425 Discovery Parkway was built in 2014 for Swiss automation and electrification company ABB. But, in 2024, ABB consolidated its local operations at a new $100 million facility in New Berlin, leaving the Wauwatosa building vacant.

Now, Walbec Group has purchased the Wauwatosa office building for $9.5 million, according to a state property record posted Wednesday.

Walbec Group is a family of vertically integrated companies specializing in asphalt, aggregate, engineering, concrete and infrastructure construction. Its companies include Pewaukee-based Payne and Dolan, Greenville-based Northeast Asphalt, Pewaukee-based Zenith Tech, Verona-based Parisi Construction, Door County-based Premier Concrete and Pewaukee-based Construction Resources Management.

Walbec Group ranked #30 on the 2025 Deloitte 75 list of the largest privately-held companies in Wisconsin. It has offices throughout Wisconsin, as well as in Minnesota and Michigan, but its corporate office is located on Badinger Road in Pewaukee. That office building also serves as Payne and Dolan’s headquarters and Construction Resources Management’s headquarters. Zenith Tech’s headquarters is located about a half mile away on Bluemound Road, according to the company’s website.

“This purchase of this new headquarters building is a major milestone for the Walbec Group and an important investment in our future,” said Kurt Bechthold, CEO of Walbec Group. “By consolidating some of our office operations into this facility in Wauwatosa, we’re creating a more connected, collaborative, and efficient workplace for our teams. We also remain committed to Waukesha, where Walbec has deep roots and will continue to have a strong operational presence.”

Situated within the UW-Milwaukee Innovation Campus, the Discovery Parkway building is located between the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center and the Milwaukee County Research Park, and is visible from I-41.

After ABB announced plans to vacate the building it was listed for sale by commercial real estate firm JLL with an asking price of $13.5 million.

Originally developed and owned by Milwaukee-based Zilber Property Group, the building was sold to Walbec by a New Jersey-based entity that purchased the building in 2016 for $19.3 million. The property has an assessed value of $8.5 million, according to Milwaukee County records.

“This building will reflect who we are—our culture, our values, and our commitment to long-term growth,” Bechthold said. “We’re excited to join the Wauwatosa community while remaining proud stewards in Waukesha. We look forward to what this means for our team members, our customers, and the communities we serve.”

1425 Discovery Parkway. Photo credit: Google Maps