The Altoona City Council on Monday approved a development agreement with Wisconsin-based custom metal manufacturer Robinson Inc.

It was the latest step for the company, which plans to expand to Iowa. Robinson focuses on designing, building and installing custom enclosures for energy storage, pump enclosures, battery energy storage and other storage systems. It currently employs 865 people across five locations in Wisconsin, with facilities in De Pere and Manitowoc.

The company plans to lease about 560,000 square feet in a newly constructed building being developed by Enclaive, a real estate development and management company with offices throughout the Midwest.

Under the development agreement, the city will invest up to $15 million in road, water and sewer improvements to the site and a Tax Increment Finance rebate of $25 million or 15 years, whichever comes first.

The Robinson development will be north of the Meta facility and north of the city’s warehouse area north of Interstate 80, and along the city’s northern boundary along 70th Street. The city plans to pave that road with the assistance of a RISE grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation.

The project also was awarded $1.2 million from the Iowa Economic Development Authority in September. The total cost of the project is estimated at $76 million.

Road improvements and construction are set to begin in spring 2026 with the new building open and operational by early January 2027, city staff said.

In a news release earlier this month, Sam Thomas, president of Robinson, said expansion outside of the company’s home state of Wisconsin is “critical to provide a dependable supply chain for our growing customer base.”

“This site is conveniently located near Interstate 80, a major supply route for our customers in the energy sector,” he said.