Plant Manager - Franklin, WI

At Modine, we are engineering a cleaner, healthier world. Building on more than 100 years of excellence in thermal management, we provide trusted systems and solutions that improve air quality and conserve natural resources. More than 13,000 employees are at work in every corner of the globe, delivering the solutions our customers need, where they need them. Our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments support our purpose by improving air quality, reducing energy and water consumption, lowering harmful emissions and enabling cleaner running vehicles and environmentally-friendly refrigerants.

Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (USA), with operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Modine, visit

We are seeking a hands‑on and strategic Plant Manager to lead the start‑up and long‑term operations of our new manufacturing facility producing infrastructure products for data centers. This is a unique opportunity to help stand up a new plant from the ground up, setting the tone for operational excellence, building a high‑performing team, and creating a culture centered on safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

The Plant Manager will be responsible for all aspects of plant operations, including production, maintenance, quality, and safety. This role will work closely with the executive team and cross‑functional leaders to ensure successful ramp‑up and ongoing scalability of the operation.

Travel requirements for this role will start at 50% (traveling to Calgary, Canada twice per month) and decrease to 10% as our Franklin, WI plant ramps up to production by end of calendar 2025. After the Franklin plant is occupied, intermittent travel will be required to meet with customers, suppliers, other facilities, and Regional and Corporate meetings.

Start‑Up Execution and Leadership:

• Lead the start‑up of a new manufacturing facility, including equipment installation, staffing, operational readiness, and initial production launch.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive plant start‑up plan aligned with business objectives and production targets.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, HR, and supply chain teams to ensure seamless facility launch.

Operational Management:

• Lead and manage all day‑to‑day operations of the plant, ensuring safety, quality, and productivity targets are met.
• Ensure a safe working environment for all employees. Minimize the impact of operations to the Environment and comply with all external and internal Environmental requirements. Managing and maintaining relationships with customers and aligning the organization to meet the customer requirements with efficiency.
• Responsibility for the achievement of the KPI’s including financial performance of the facility as well as the functional responsibilities of each Staff/Department Manager.

• Development of short and long term operating and business plans that align and contribute to the Region and Company goals and objectives. Accurate planning, forecasting, analysis of variances, and implementation of corrective actions to achieve planned results.
• Management of a Plant Staff of direct reports to align responsibilities and expectations to Regional and Company goals and value system.
• Manage plant budgets, headcount, and resource planning to support business demands.
• Collaborate with engineering, supply chain, HR, and quality to drive plant‑wide initiatives.

Team Building & Talent Development:

• Recruit, hire, and develop the plant leadership team and hourly workforce in partnership with HR.
• Set clear expectations, drive accountability, and create a culture of empowerment and ownership throughout the facility.
• Partner with local schools, technical programs, and workforce agencies to support long‑term talent pipeline development.

Compliance & Standards:

• Ensure full compliance with company standards, environmental regulations, and all applicable laws.
• Promote and enforce a safety‑first culture through strong leadership, training, and behavior‑based safety practices.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Communicate effectively at all levels of…