The United States Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, visited Manitowoc to highlight the work being done by the Investing in America initiative.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s Investing in America agenda included the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided $17 billion specifically for ports and waterways nationwide.
It is for this reason that Secretary Buttigieg made his way to Clipper City, a place where the local economy hinges on the success of many businesses that rely heavily on the Port of Manitowoc and the county’s waterways.
In a one-on-one interview with Seehafer News, Secretary Buttigieg discussed the importance of port infrastructure in local economies.
He said, “It powers the jobs in the agriculture and manufacturing industry; it is also part of our fight against inflation”
He added, “Shipping is a big part of the cost of everything we buy at the store. So, if we have improved supply chains, we take a bite out of those shipping costs, and that means less inflation.”
Investing in America and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill aim to lift America’s middle class, which makes up much of the population of Manitowoc and the entire state of Wisconsin.
Secretary Buttigieg also spoke on how these two projects are positively affecting the local community.
“This is benefiting working Americans in so many ways, I’d really point to two things. First, the good-paying construction jobs, working on the different projects we’re funding.”
He continued, “And then, the benefits of actually having this improved infrastructure.”
Secretary Buttigieg mentioned how this initiative and the people it’s positively affecting hits close to home for him.
He said, “This is personal for me. I grew up in the industrial Midwest. I served as Mayor in South Bend, Indiana, and I’ve seen how good supply chains make it possible to have manufacturing job growth.”
He went on to say, “One of the reasons why we’re experiencing the best manufacturing job growth in years is because we’re looking at the whole picture, including the supply chains.”
Secretary Buttigieg spent his time in Manitowoc at three different locations, all of which are benefiting substantially from this improved infrastructure he spoke of.
He started at Broadwind Heavy Fabricators, which subcontracts through Konecranes Nuclear Equipment and Services LLC for several cranes which are shipped using the Manitowoc River.
The assembly pad adjacent to the Broadwind facilities belongs to KNES and is managed by KNES and its employees to build these monster Jibs.
Stop two was at Briess Malt and Ingredients, which develops ingredients for American craft beers, food and beverage products, and pet food products.
These ingredients also get transported across the country, beginning in the port of Manitowoc.
The final stop was at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which is a beacon of history for how investing in maritime infrastructure improves the Great Lakes, its ports, and surrounding economies.
Secretary Buttigieg finished off his time in the city by saying he looked forward to the next time he got to visit Manitowoc and see how these investments into local port infrastructure continue to help the local community and economy flourish.
