Governor Scott Walker Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Mortenson Construction

Press Release

Today, Governor Scott Walker delivered remarks at the 60th anniversary celebration of Mortenson Construction in Brookfield. The construction company has offices in Milwaukee and Madison, employs about 200 people in Wisconsin, and is known throughout the world as a leader in modern construction and structural advancement.

"Mortenson Construction has been a partner in building Wisconsin's economy for decades," Governor Walker said. "We appreciate the innovative ways this company works to help train our young people for in-demand construction jobs. Buildings like the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, the Aurora Medical Center, and one of my personal favorites, the Harley-Davidson Museum, serve as great examples of Mortenson's quality craftsmanship. Investing in Wisconsin Fast Forward and easing the tax burden under my Blueprint for Prosperity will help us invest in our economy, allowing companies like Mortenson to continue to grow and thrive in Wisconsin."

Mortenson Construction is proactive about addressing a short-term and long-term work shortage in the construction industry. As part of a school-business partnership, Bradley Tech High School students get hands-on experience through the TechTerns program, so they can learn and explore various careers. Techterns is a two-year program allowing students to work side-by-side with professionals for a full school day, once every 6 weeks. Most recently, 18 "TechTerns" were on the job at the site of the Froedtert Hospital expansion, learning about careers involving design, construction, and operation of a medical building. Mortenson is working with the Department of Workforce Development and the Department of Public Instruction on ways to pilot the TechTern program.

Maurtiz A. Mortenson founded Mortenson Construction in 1954. The company now has offices in eight states and three countries. Company leaders uphold the commitment to quality and customer service through a core value system of trust, teamwork, responsibility, safety, service, and stewardship. The Milwaukee Business Journal twice named Mortenson Construction as the Top Milwaukee Workplace, as well as the 2010 Green Builder of the Year.

Governor Walker introduced his Blueprint for Prosperity during the 2014 State of the State address, following news of the state's $911 million surplus, created by a strong economic recovery and long-term structural reforms.

Blueprint for Prosperity:

Cut property taxes by $406 million. The typical homeowner will see an actual reduction of $100 dollars on their next property tax bill.

Cut income taxes by $98.6 million. Targeted to the lowest income tax bracket. Savings for a typical family of four making $40,000, will be $58. No one will get a bigger savings than that.

Adjust withholding for state income taxes by $322.6 million, so you can keep more of your hard-earned paycheck. Beginning in April, a typical family of four will see $57.90 more in their paychecks each month.

Increase the Wisconsin Fast Forward program by $35 million to focus on three new areas:

Invest in technical colleges to eliminate waiting lists for high demand fields including manufacturing, agriculture, and Information Technology;
Help high school students get training in high demand jobs through dual enrollment programs between our high schools and technical colleges;
Support the Year of the Better Bottom Line initiative, which helps people with disabilities enter the workforce.

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