EVANSVILLE - Amy Andersen is happy to be working in her hometown again after three years of commuting to Madison.
She quit her job at the Stoughton Trailers plant in Evansville in 2007 as the company started laying workers off. The plant that built domestic rail containers and truck chassis closed when business was moved to China, leaving nearly 400 people out of work.
Andersen didn't like the commute to her new job in Madison and kept in touch with her former co-workers. That's how she heard the company was thinking about reopening in Evansville facility.
"I always liked working here (Stoughton Trailers) before," she said, adding that her husband also works in town. "We love it because our kids go to school here. We both grew up here, and it's wonderful to see that this community has more jobs coming up."
Applications are being taken at the Evansville plant. Andersen said eight to nine workers - including her - already are working on a chassis line. At a press conference at the plant Thursday, Gov. Scott Walker said the company is adding 302 jobs in Evansville and 176 more between the Brodhead and Stoughton plants.
Walker was in town to announce the state Department of Commerce is awarding the company a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant to train employees, buy equipment and retool the Evansville plant. The grant is actually a loan, which carries a deferral payment period as well as a forgiveness clause if performance standards are met.
Walker shook hands with plant employees before his announcement, which was open only to the media. He toured the plant afterward.
About 20 protesters stood outside at the corner of Highway 14/County M waving signs calling for Walker's recall.
The state grant is the key piece of the puzzle to start up the plant again, company President Bob Wahlin said.
"In order to accomplish this, we have had to offer a newly designed container product vastly different from what we used to build," he said.
"The new welded-steel container requires that we retool this 350,000-square-foot facility."
Retooling is under way with container production expected in mid- to late-April, he said.
"In recent years, the economy, foreign competition and the past business environment in Wisconsin contributed to Stoughton Trailers' need to greatly cut back, including a reduction of staffing levels from peaks of nearly 1,600 down to approximately 250 employees in the summer of 2009," he said. "We now stand at nearly 650 employees."
Hiring also continues at the Brodhead and Stoughton plants at the rate of 15 to 20 people a week, he said.
"Very soon here in Evansville, we'll be ramping up to an equivalent amount," he said, adding the company hopes to exceed 1,100 total employees by the end of the year.
Walker's visit came after a stop in Kenosha, where he announced Catalyst Exhibits of Crystal Lake, Ill., plans to relocate to Pleasant Prairie. Other employers also have asked about moving to Wisconsin, he said.
She quit her job at the Stoughton Trailers plant in Evansville in 2007 as the company started laying workers off. The plant that built domestic rail containers and truck chassis closed when business was moved to China, leaving nearly 400 people out of work.
Andersen didn't like the commute to her new job in Madison and kept in touch with her former co-workers. That's how she heard the company was thinking about reopening in Evansville facility.
"I always liked working here (Stoughton Trailers) before," she said, adding that her husband also works in town. "We love it because our kids go to school here. We both grew up here, and it's wonderful to see that this community has more jobs coming up."
Applications are being taken at the Evansville plant. Andersen said eight to nine workers - including her - already are working on a chassis line. At a press conference at the plant Thursday, Gov. Scott Walker said the company is adding 302 jobs in Evansville and 176 more between the Brodhead and Stoughton plants.
Walker was in town to announce the state Department of Commerce is awarding the company a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant to train employees, buy equipment and retool the Evansville plant. The grant is actually a loan, which carries a deferral payment period as well as a forgiveness clause if performance standards are met.
Walker shook hands with plant employees before his announcement, which was open only to the media. He toured the plant afterward.
About 20 protesters stood outside at the corner of Highway 14/County M waving signs calling for Walker's recall.
The state grant is the key piece of the puzzle to start up the plant again, company President Bob Wahlin said.
"In order to accomplish this, we have had to offer a newly designed container product vastly different from what we used to build," he said.
"The new welded-steel container requires that we retool this 350,000-square-foot facility."
Retooling is under way with container production expected in mid- to late-April, he said.
"In recent years, the economy, foreign competition and the past business environment in Wisconsin contributed to Stoughton Trailers' need to greatly cut back, including a reduction of staffing levels from peaks of nearly 1,600 down to approximately 250 employees in the summer of 2009," he said. "We now stand at nearly 650 employees."
Hiring also continues at the Brodhead and Stoughton plants at the rate of 15 to 20 people a week, he said.
"Very soon here in Evansville, we'll be ramping up to an equivalent amount," he said, adding the company hopes to exceed 1,100 total employees by the end of the year.
Walker's visit came after a stop in Kenosha, where he announced Catalyst Exhibits of Crystal Lake, Ill., plans to relocate to Pleasant Prairie. Other employers also have asked about moving to Wisconsin, he said.