STATE FOCUS | WISCONSIN
The hidden gem on the shore of the Great Lakes
With a huge economy and a burgeoning manufacturing industry, Wisconsin is set to benefit from the refocusing of investment on domestic industry. OCH looks at both the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the crane and hoist sector.
affordable and the prospects for growth are good. Wisconsin may be known for its strong sense of community, its abundant natural habitats and its relaxed pace of life, but make no mistake – it is no slouch when it comes to industrial and economic development. Nestled between its shorelines on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, and sandwiched between Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, the state of six million inhabitants is diverse in its mix of dense forests in the north (such as the Chequamegon– Nicolet National Forest), the rugged hills in the Driftless Area to the west and farmland that reaches from the heartland to the lakeshore. In its big urban areas – Milwaukee, Madison
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and Green Bay, and the communities that lie about Fox River in the east-central area and constitute Fox Cities – the economy is driven by fast-growing industry, both traditional sectors such as manufacturing and in cutting-edge areas such as bio-health and IT. Beyond the city limits, agriculture is the big money-spinner, with dairy production leading the way. Indeed, the state is known as America’s Dairyland. According to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the
n the heart of the upper Midwest sits a state that may not be the richest in the lower 48, but where standards of living are high, housing is
manufacturing industry contributes just under $80bn to the state’s $400bn+ GDP – a total comparable to the entire GDP of Malaysia. Furthermore, the manufacturing sector employs more than 480,000 workers, making the state a national leader in manufacturing employment. That capability is hard at work for a whole range of industries – food and beverage processing, machinery production, transportation equipment, fabricated metal products and much more. And the state is home to some big names in their industry sectors, not least Harley-Davidson, plumbing business Kohler Co, dairy products producer Schreiber Foods and advanced industrial technology developer Rockwell Automation. The state’s vast lumber industry has propelled
it to become a major producer of paper and packaging products. Indeed, Wisconsin ranks first in the US for the manufacture of paper products and the 39-mile stretch of the lower Fox River region alone, which reaches from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay, is home to more than two dozen paper mills. This diverse economy, not least the vibrant manufacturing sector, has long provided a platform for a growing crane and hoist sector. “In terms of sector, we encounter all walks, whether paper, metal or materials processing, general manufacturing, you name it,” says
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