Gov. Tony Evers is preaching the virtues of togetherness after state officials, working side by side with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDot), he landed two Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grants that pave the way for rail spurs to be built at two Wrightstown facilities as part of a project that will also bring more than 120 manufacturing jobs.
“Great news, folks: thanks to 2 new grants from @WisconsinDOT , we’re supporting local rail improvement projects in Wrightstown,” Evers tweeted. “These new rail spurs will help expand opportunities for local manufacturers while adding more than 120 jobs to the area.”
In a press release, Evers also added “these grants are a great example of what’s possible when we work collaboratively and strategically to support our local communities and industries, and I applaud the village of Wrightstown for their good work to make this happen. These rail spurs will not only create and retain jobs in our manufacturing industry, but they will also improve and bolster our state’s transportation infrastructure, expanding opportunities for Wisconsin industries to grow and succeed for years to come.”
With this year’s grants going to the Alliance Plastics Inc. and Drexel Systems LLC companies, over the last three years the Wisconsin’s TEA program has awarded 20 grants totaling more than $9 million to support transportation improvements linked to business development projects. The grant funds have helped to create more than 1,800 new jobs and retain more than 1,600 jobs across the state. According to government officials, since the program began in 1987 it has now given out more than $119 million to at least 217 communities in the state.
In the end, WisDot Secretary Craig Thompson said earmarking the grants for the Wrightstown area proved to be an easy decision.
“We are proud to support the village of Wrightstown and their commitment to invest in transportation and workforce,” he said. “New rail spurs for these two companies will facilitate economic development and provide important connections to markets across the nation as well as Canada.”
With its $400,000 grant, Alliance Plastics is poised to build a railway connecting to an existing Canadian National Railway line that will bolster the transportation of their goods, while with its $500,000 grant Drexel Systems is expected to use the funds to connect a Canadian National Railway Line that will help with the import of lumber form the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
