Business View Magazine - Sept 2023

26 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 9 the vital Blatnik Bridge, and rebuild rural roads that are critical to the state’s agricultural sector. “We’ve had a lot of good transportation motions since I’ve been on this committee, but this might be the best one yet,” State Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said just before his Joint Finance Committee voted to approve the funding. While nothing is guaranteed, WTBA members tend to win a vast majority of transportation projects the state Department of Transportation opens for bids every month. With a $7.6 billion transportation budget over the next two years, WisDOT’s investment in such projects pays dividends in every sector. Last year, 67% of the value of freight shipped in Wisconsin crossed the state via truck, showing the importance of not only a dependable Interstate system, but quality local roads to help shipments reach their “last mile” destinations. According to the national research group TRIP, the design, construction, and maintenance of transportation infrastructure in Wisconsin supports approximately 64,000 full-time jobs across all sectors of the state’s economy. TRIP estimates 1.4 million full-time jobs in key Wisconsin industries such as tourism, retail sales, agriculture, and manufacturing are completely dependent on the state’s transportation network. “As a contractor building the project, you don’t often think about the economic impact,” WTBA President JR Ramthun said. “That is, until you see the finished product and the free flow of traffic getting to their destination. It sure makes you proud that you and other WTBA contractors made a difference.” A commitment to connections The industry isn’t immune to the stresses all employers face right now. WTBA’s goal is to ensure members can count on stable, consistent program funding so workers know they can build a career around the transportation industry. To that extent, WTBA member companies have redoubled their efforts within apprenticeship JR Ramthun Jeff Peterson