MONROE - When Stoughton Trailers shut its Evansville container-manufacturing plant and moved those operations to China several years ago, 400 employees lost their jobs.
Now the company has reopened the plant and is hiring again, and its success may bode well, not only for the company and its workers, but for the larger economy as whole. That's because the firm - with operations in Evansville, Stoughton and Brodhead - makes containers and trailers that move freight, and when demand for moving freight is up, it's a good sign the larger economy is on the rebound.
"We've been on an upswing since (the fourth quarter) of last year, and that's lasted into this year," said Keith Wise, communications manager for the manufacturer. "We tend to lead the economy by six months, so certainly that's a good sign."
So good, in fact, state officials on Tuesday lauded the firm for helping to "get Wisconsin working again."
On Tuesday, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Interim Secretary Scott Baumbach presented Stoughton Trailers President Robert Wahlin with a commendation and toured production operations in Stoughton.
Stoughton Trailers also is expanding its plant in Brodhead.
"They are adding 480 jobs, and we are helping them find the welders, assemblers, painters and other skilled workers that they need," Baumbach said, in a statement.
The company received 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 deferred payment period, as well as a forgiveness clause if specific performance standards are met.
At a press conference last March, Gov. Scott Walker said the company would add 302 jobs in Evansville and 176 more between the Brodhead and Stoughton plants.
Business at Stoughton Trailers, Wise said, was down 80 percent during the worst years of the recession, which began in 2007.
Now, he says, "pent-up" demand from those lean years, along with an overall economic rebound, are helping to keep the company moving ahead, and hiring employees.
Now the company has reopened the plant and is hiring again, and its success may bode well, not only for the company and its workers, but for the larger economy as whole. That's because the firm - with operations in Evansville, Stoughton and Brodhead - makes containers and trailers that move freight, and when demand for moving freight is up, it's a good sign the larger economy is on the rebound.
"We've been on an upswing since (the fourth quarter) of last year, and that's lasted into this year," said Keith Wise, communications manager for the manufacturer. "We tend to lead the economy by six months, so certainly that's a good sign."
So good, in fact, state officials on Tuesday lauded the firm for helping to "get Wisconsin working again."
On Tuesday, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Interim Secretary Scott Baumbach presented Stoughton Trailers President Robert Wahlin with a commendation and toured production operations in Stoughton.
Stoughton Trailers also is expanding its plant in Brodhead.
"They are adding 480 jobs, and we are helping them find the welders, assemblers, painters and other skilled workers that they need," Baumbach said, in a statement.
The company received 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 deferred payment period, as well as a forgiveness clause if specific performance standards are met.
At a press conference last March, Gov. Scott Walker said the company would add 302 jobs in Evansville and 176 more between the Brodhead and Stoughton plants.
Business at Stoughton Trailers, Wise said, was down 80 percent during the worst years of the recession, which began in 2007.
Now, he says, "pent-up" demand from those lean years, along with an overall economic rebound, are helping to keep the company moving ahead, and hiring employees.