Northwestern Mutual Relocating Franklin Employees To Milwaukee: Report

FRANKLIN, WI — Northwestern Mutual is planning to relocate the 2,000 employees at its 80-acre Franklin campus to downtown Milwaukee, The Milwaukee Business Journal first reported Thursday.

In a statement soon after the news broke, Franklin Mayor Steve Olson looked back at when the company first came to town over 20 years ago.

"We welcomed them as family and together over the years our relationship has been great and we’re now home to a large number of NM’s employees," said Olson in a news release. "With the transition of NM’s operations back to downtown I look forward to working closely with the company in finding a new use for this great campus that will provide the excitement that we felt 20 years ago."

Olson said he will use his office as mayor to attract another "great company" to take over the campus, noting that it "may be a quick transition" amid other developments in Franklin.

Northwestern Mutual CEO, President and Chairman John Schlifske told The Business Journal that the changes come amid efforts to encourage in-office collaboration, noting, however, that the company is actually growing.

Read the full story and more details from The Milwaukee Business Journal.