MUSKEGO — The presidential election may be more than a year away, and Republicans are determined to hold on to Wisconsin by stressing the economy's positive effect on local businesses.
Leaders at Inpro Corp. in Muskego said the company is thriving under the Trump administration's economic policies.
The company manufactures products including shower systems and window coverings for other construction contractors.
Chairman and former president and CEO Steve Ziegler said the company has hired about 50 people this year, and he links that to tax cuts and fewer regulations. Ziegler said the company has about 650 employees, mostly in Wisconsin and some worldwide.
"So we have more money to hire more people next year, and more money to buy computers and buy machinery," Ziegler said. "And we just have more money to grow. It just makes business easier."
Inpro was the focus at a roundtable discussion Wednesday with Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, and other Republican leaders. Their message: keep the policies in place and the economy strong.
"So we have more money to hire more people next year, and more money to buy computers and buy machinery." — Inpro Corp. Chairman Steve Ziegler
"The real world impact of the abstract policies that we're putting in place in Washington is critical to see firsthand," Steil said. "And it's important to understand that because that's what the upcoming election is going to be about."
"We're certainly going to keep drawing attention to the fact that this tax bill did nothing for hardworking Wisconsinites, that this really was just another handout for the rich." — Philip Shulman, spokesperson and director of Trump Rapid Response
Wisconsin's unemployment rate has fallen from 3.8% from November 2016 to 3% in July 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Still, Democrats say everyday Americans are struggling.
"We're certainly going to keep drawing attention to the fact that this tax bill did nothing for hardworking Wisconsinites, that this really was just another handout for the rich," said Philip Shulman, the spokesperson and director of Trump Rapid Response, which is part of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
