One hundred and twenty-five new jobs in a struggling economy is big news.
But big news is just what Governor Jim Doyle announced yesterday in Milwaukee.
Talgo, a Spanish train manufacturer, will refurbish a building in the former Tower Automotive plant near 27th and Hopkins.
That’s where the company will build and service passenger train cars that it hopes to sell around the United States.
The gaping 84-acres that once housed Tower Automotive looks anything but inviting.
But a beaming Governor Jim Doyle told a collection of elected officials and business people that the neighborhood will pick up when Talgo, a Spanish train manufacturer, comes to town.
“These trains, when you all see them will see. They are fuel-efficient, they are fast. They are comfortable. They are the best modern passenger trains anywhere in the world,” Doyle says.
Last summer Wisconsin purchased two of the company’s train sets; that’s the engine and a dozen or so passenger cars. They’ll be used to upgrade the Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago.
As a part of the deal, Talgo agreed to locate its first U.S- based assembly plant somewhere in Wisconsin. The company considered six locations, including Racine and Janesville, before settling on Milwaukee.
The governor says that’s welcome news for the city.
“We’ll be putting people to work in construction, engineering and design. And we will also put people to work in manufacturing. Wisconsin will see real economic benefits of high speed rail, for generations to come,” Doyle says.
Company president Antonio Perez says Talgo will have room to grow at the Tower Automotive site. And the more train it sells around the country, the more trains will be assembled in Milwaukee.
Perez says his company will also call on American vendors for parts and components.
“We have identified vendors from the U.S. from 30 states which would provide approximately 450 jobs,” Perez says.
Perez says some of those jobs will be in Wisconsin.
Talgo has already started its hiring process, first for a human resources director and other supervisors. Then employees will be brought on board to staff the manufacturing jobs.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the city worked aggressively to nurture the new enterprise.
“This was not an accident, as Governor Doyle has explained, as Mr. Perez has explained. This was done because there were parties that wanted something good to happen. And when parties are willing to work together to try to find common ground, a lot can happen,” Barrett says.
The day did not just belong to local and state elected official.
Congresswoman Gwen Moore was eager for her turn at the podium.
“I wouldn’t be a politician if I would sit here and not toot my own horn here for a moment. I can tell you that as a member of Congress, I went with the intention of bringing money home, because we desperately need it in this region to try to create intermodal transportation and this is just another piece of it. This is a line that connects us literally to the global economy. Milwaukee, we’re back,” Moore says.
Taking in all the fanfare was Paul Godwin.
But the Milwaukee native is somewhat disappointed. He works for Super Steel, a Milwaukee company that had hoped to win at least some of the business Talgo is bringing to town.
“What I was hoping for is that even if they came to that conclusion to build a base, they would still consider Super Steel, because of our track record, because of the type of work we do and there are employees there who need work. I’m laid off. Yes, I’ve been laid off since January. Okay, so it would have been nice if they could have broken it down and little bit here, a little here and little there, so that everybody would get a piece of that pie. But, that’s the way it is,” Godwin says.
A block away from what will be Talgo’s new home, people inside Sparkle Food, a neighborhood convenience store, had not yet heard the news.
But Deon says he’s excited. He used to work for a tow truck business but has been out of work for two years.
“Everywhere. I’ve been on the Internet looking everywhere and it’s not working out. Temp services, all of that is not working too good right now,” Deon says.
Tony works at Sparkle.
He says the shop is barely holding on, and people come in all the time, looking for odd jobs.
“You know the climate now wherever you go, it’s pretty bad. It’s really bad and I’m surprised that a company like that, it’s opening up, because with the economy being so bad, like that. So it must be pretty strong, you know; people are always looking for a strong company,” Tony says.
Tony predicts word will spread fast that Talgo is coming to the neighborhood.
Work on the building will start next summer and production could begin as soon as next November.
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