Walker touts economic policies at Oshkosh firm

Gov. Scott Walker toured a family-owned plastics manufacturer Thursday as part of a campaign stop in Oshkosh to highlight tax cuts and economic policies.

Walker posed for pictures with three generations of a family that founded and operate Lakeside Plastics after he visited the factory that produces orange traffic cones, t-shirt ink and other products.

Lakeside Vice President Mike Cuttill said company executives had reached out to Walker for some time about visiting the plant in order to show him how they’ve benefited from his tenure as governor. Walker was elected in 2010 and was the first governor in the nation’s history to survive a recall election in 2012.

“It’s an opportunity to let the governor know what’s working for us and the challenges that lie ahead,” Cuttill said. “We’ve seen a good increase in our (sales) numbers, but sometimes we struggle with employee retention.”

This year alone, Lakeside managers said they’ve been able to add 38 new employees and continue to invest in new equipment and machinery.

“The governor’s policies have been extremely helpful for us,” Lakeside President Jeff Seibold said. “They’ve been instrumental in allowing us to invest in new equipment and jobs.”

Walker said he hopes to win re-election in order to continue lowering taxes and improving the economic climate for businesses like Lakeside for another four years. He faces Democrat Mary Burke Nov. 4 in a race that recent state-wide polls say is a dead heat. Burke’s campaign is critical of Walker’s failure to reach a campaign goal of creating 250,000 new jobs by the end of his first term in office.

The governor said his policies have orchestrated a turnaround in the state’s economy, a far cry from what he inherited from Democrat Jim Doyle. Burke served as Doyle’s commerce secretary.

“Our goal is to help companies create more jobs, create more opportunities to grow those jobs and to allow people to advance and create more personal income in this state so that fewer people are worrying about paying the mortgage or putting food on the table,” Walker said. “... We’re pleased with where we’re going.”

Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or jbollier@thenorthwestern.com.