Wet Wipes Sold Out Last Year. Now A Wisconsin Manufacturer Is Doubling Production.

Sheboygan County manufacturer Rockline Industries will double its production of disinfecting wet wipes.

The family-owned company will create more than 50 jobs over the next three years, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

“WEDC is proud to be able to assist Rockline in continuing its growth in Sheboygan County,” Secretary Missy Hughes said in a statement.

The expansion is expected to cost around $20 million, and Rockline could receive up to $380,000 in income tax credits based on the number of jobs created.

Disinfecting wipes were an especially hot item early in the coronavirus pandemic. In March 2020, stores sold three months’ worth of consumer goods in two weeks, said Chris Dresselhuys, business director for North American retail products at Rockline.

Many people began buying disinfecting wipes for the first time, and it’s a habit that’s likely to continue, he said.

“I’ve seen a number of national studies from various organizations that indicate, at least for a significant percentage of those people, that will be an ongoing behavior,” Dresselhuys said.

New equipment is already being delivered and installed, and Rockline expects the line will be operational by the end of this year, he said.

“(Rockline’s) economic impact is a tremendous asset to the area, and the fact that they chose to expand in Wisconsin says a lot about our state and their commitment to the greater Sheboygan community,” state Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in a statement.

In August, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved Rockline’s claim that its hard-surface wipes kill the virus that causes COVID-19.

Rockline produces private-label disinfectant wipes and coffee filters in Sheboygan County, which is also home to its corporate headquarters. Its products, which include baking cups and sanitary wipes, are distributed to more than 50 countries.

A survey from February showed business was still down for almost half of Wisconsin manufacturers due to COVID-19, according to WMEP Manufacturing Solutions, a not-for-profit consulting firm.