Sunday, October 28, 2012

No, They Did Not Build It On Their Own

The good news is that some of the people in Viroqua who were laid off when NCR closed will be getting back to work.

The bad news, for Republicans, is that they needed the government to make it happen, in the form of corporate welfare (emphasis mine):
Susan Noble raised the flag in front of Viroqua’s Food Enterprise Center on Wednesday afternoon to mark the opening of a renovated 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

“Hallelujah,” she said. “We’re back in business.”

A crowd of about 60 business leaders from throughout the Coulee Region attended the grand opening of the facility formerly operated by NCR.

Noble, executive director of the Vernon Economic Development Association, said the loss of 81 jobs when NCR closed in 2009 “was a tremendous blow to our community, but (VEDA) took it as an opportunity and ran with it.”

VEDA put together a multi-million dollar plan to repurpose the NCR plant as the Food Enterprise Center. The financing included $2 million from the Federal Economic Development Administration, a $1.8 million Midwest Disaster Bond and other loans and lines of credit through six area banks.

The manufacturing plant has been remodeled and now has four tenants, Keewaydin Organics, LuSa Organics, Ridgetop Foods and Fifth Season Cooperative. All are involved in either distributing food or producing value-added food products.
Well, you know that something that Scott Walker and Paul Ryan won't be talking about.

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