“[Spark Ops] faced a decision that could have taken them — and dozens of jobs — to another county.”

When Fond du Lac-based Spark Ops Metalworks started outgrowing its five separate facilities in late 2024, the company faced a decision that could have taken them — and dozens of jobs — to another county.

It didn’t happen that way.

Spark Ops, founded in 2022 by CEO Maria Perl and her husband Bryan, had quickly become one of the most remarkable manufacturing success stories in the region. The company builds high-quality temporary modular structures for the world’s biggest sports and entertainment events — NFL, FIFA, Road America, Formula 1, X-Games — and has expanded into work with Boeing and FEMA.

Spark Ops joined Envision Greater Fond du Lac as a member in February 2024 and didn’t waste any time getting involved. That spring, they opened their doors to participants in FDL R.O.C.K., giving local students a firsthand look at what advanced manufacturing careers can look like right here at home.

By late summer, it became clear the company needed to consolidate under one roof. Sheboygan County came calling with a significant land offer at essentially no cost. That’s when Envision’s economic development team got to work.

Lisa McArthur, Vice President of Economic Development, had already been quietly repositioning the Fond du Lac Aeronautical Industrial Park — rethinking its zoning and broadening its perception beyond aviation-only users. County Executive Sam Kaufman had long said the right user would get the right deal. When Spark Ops’ needs became clear, Lisa went to Sam with a simple message: I think I found the right user.

What followed was months of negotiations, FAA compliance work, DNR approvals, and a developer’s agreement — all to keep Spark Ops in Fond du Lac County. In early 2025 with support from the County Executive and County Board of Supervisors, Spark Ops purchased most of the the park’s acreage and in March 2026, broke ground on a new 156,000-square-foot headquarters facility.

This spring, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) awarded them the Manufacturer of the Year: Excellence in Product & Process Innovation and the U.S. Small Business Administration named them the Wisconsin Small Business Manufacturer of the Year during National Small Business Week.

This is what economic development looks like.