WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Governor Scott Walker declared Monday as “Wisconsin Cheese Day” as statewide celebrations of June Dairy Month come to a close, and in doing so awarded a $500,000 state grant to the Great Lakes Cheese company to help train some 200 anticipated new employees at their expanded Wausau location.
“As companies like Great Lake Cheese continue to grow in Wisconsin, it’s imperative that we help those businesses find a way to ensure that their workers receive the training needed to compete in our ever-changing economy,” Governor Walker said. “We applaud Great Lakes Cheese for not only investing in our state but for investing in its workers.”
“As we continue to expand and modernize our operations in Wisconsin, it’s imperative that our workers have the skills and training required to operate the modern state-of-the-art equipment we will utilize in the new Wausau plant,” said Matt Wilkinson, project management director for Great Lakes Cheese. “Employee training is vital not just to the success of Great Lakes Cheese as a local employer, but for our ongoing commitment to producing delicious world-class cheese. We thank the state of Wisconsin for supporting our efforts to continue to develop and enhance the skills of our workforce.”
Walker noted that the state currently has more job openings listed on its website than unemployed residents, based on the state’s current unemployment rate of under 3 percent. He says they’ll soon begin ad campaigns to pull workers from neighboring states such as Minnesota and Illinois.
The new Great Lakes Cheese plant located on County Road O in Wausau is expected to be up and running in early 2019.
ON OTHER TOPICS
Following the presentation of the grant, Walker was asked about a variety of other topics including Harley-Davidson’s decision to take the production of some motorcycles out of the United States because of proposed tariffs on US goods. Walker says during a recent trip to Washington he discussed what the tariffs would mean with several other Governors and Government Officials, and they came to an agreement that the best course of action would be no tariffs at all.
“What’s in the interest of the United States is not to put more tariffs on, but rather to create a level playing field where there are no tariffs in the future,” he said.
Walker also hinted that another tax break could be coming for residents after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Dakota in a recent case involving the taxation of online purchases. He said the goal would be to offset the online taxation in some way, so it does not become an extra tax on residents. Possibilities included an income tax break or the extension of the upcoming child tax credit.
