Manufacturing is coming back to Wisconsin

I'm Steve Martinez and this is the Daily Briefing newsletter by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sign up here to get it sent to your inbox each morning.

You might be reaching for your winter coat again Wednesday (sorry). Temperatures are expected to peak in the low- to mid-40s with some wind. At least we'll have sunny skies. It'll warm up to 50 Thursday.

Manufacturing is coming back to Wisconsin

In April 2021, the U.S. International Trade Commission made a seminal ruling: A coalition of U.S. companies, including one from Wisconsin, had prevailed in their complaint that Chinese competitors were selling trailer chassis in the United States for below the actual cost of making them, a trade violation known as dumping, that unfairly harms competitors.

Soon, import tariffs of more than 200% would be levied on those Chinese trailers, which are used to haul ocean-cargo containers on American highways. Sales would swing back to the U.S. manufacturers, supporting thousands of jobs in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Alabama and Texas.

It was great news to Bob Wahlin of Stoughton Trailers, whose factory had been sitting mothballed between Janesville and Madison. And it's part of a larger trend.

In the nearly 45 years since industrial employment peaked in the United States, manufacturers have struggled to regain their prominence. Now, they have some wind at their back.

With the exception of the COVID-19 period, U.S. manufacturing jobs have risen steadily from 2010 through early 2024. As of February, the manufacturing sector accounted for about 13 million American workers, a gain of more than 1.5 million from February 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So your property assessment went up. Now what?

Property assessments are arriving in Milwaukee mailboxes, and values across the city are going up.

Citywide, values increased 17.4% from 2023 to 2024, according to the Assessor's Office.

Assessed values increased in all aldermanic districts by at least 14% for residential properties and at least 10% for commercial properties.

It's a little confusing, but your assessment can go up even if no improvements were made to the home. You can also appeal your assessment by contacting the Assessor's Office.

City reporter Alison Dirr has a helpful guide to other questions residents might be facing after seeing their assessments increase.

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• Fashion retailer Express is filing for bankruptcy. What does that mean for its Wisconsin stores?
• If you didn't know, soy sauce is made in Wisconsin. The company that produces it, Kikkoman Foods, is building a $560 million facility in Jefferson to expand its operations.

Steve Martinez can be reached at steve.martinez@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @stjmartinez.

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