Walker Speaks in Sturgeon Bay

Gov. Scott Walker speaks at Pro Products, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay, while Operation Manager Steven Hurley and President/CEO Joe Hurley look on. Photo by Matt Ledger.

Recently re-elected Gov. Scott Walker stopped at Pro Products, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay on June 7, where he gave a speech which focused on moving Wisconsin past the recall election and strengthening small businesses.

Before Walker took the mic, Pro Products Operation Manager Steven Hurley gave an account of the business’s recent growth. The machining and assembly company has added 10 jobs in the last two years and is looking to add six more positions in the next six months. Hurley said the new jobs are just part of the continued vision for growth at Pro Products, Inc.

“We appreciate having a supportive government sharing in that vision,” said Hurley, addressing Walker, “and we wish you continued success in office.”

In his speech, Walker congratulated Pro Products on their success and said that, with the recall over, he plans to quickly get back to work so that all Wisconsin businesses can see similar growth.

“Really the best way for us to bring people together in this state is to focus on jobs,” said Gov. Walker. “Because they aren’t Republican jobs, they aren’t Democrat jobs, they’re Wisconsin jobs.”

The governor cited a 2011 survey from the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce which said that 94 percent of employers in Wisconsin think the state is headed in the right direction economically, and he tied that number into the tax incentives he’d created for Wisconsin businesses.

Bill Chaudoir, Executive Director of the Door County Economic Development Corporation, believes that area businesses will feel confident as a result of Walker’s recall victory.

“I think this is what businesses want to see, is him continuing what he’s done with the business climate in the state,” Chaudoir said.

Walker also expressed hopes that more businesses from outside the state will see that “Wisconsin is open for business.”

The governor then detailed a plan, conceived by his wife, to bring the entire legislature together over burgers, brats, and beer to socialize and discuss the future of the state. He said that he hoped the barbecue would be the first step towards restoring an air of collegiality in the legislature.

“On Tuesday night, while there were a lot of people who wanted to spike the ball, my view was, as a leader, as the governor of the state of Wisconsin, I wanted to make it fundamentally clear that it wasn’t a time to celebrate,” said Gov. Walker. “It was a time to heal, and it was a time to move on.”

After the speech, Walker donned safety glasses and took a quick tour of the factory before preparing to head to an event in Chippewa Falls.