Posted on 02/14/2005 9:08:28 PM PST by 12 Gauge Mossberg
Posted on Sun, Feb. 13, 2005
Menards blames Wisconsin officials for plant moving to Minnesota
Associated Press
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - Menard Inc. says the state has forced it to move a local manufacturing plant to Minnesota because it won't issue a building permit.
The Eau Claire (WI)-based home improvement retailer will move an Eau Claire manufacturing plant to Belgrade, Minn., where it will employ 80 to 100 people.
"It is certainly no secret that there are certain agencies here in Wisconsin that have been awfully difficult, if not impossible, to work with on business issues," Menards spokeswoman Dawn Sands said.
Other states "have agencies and communities that have a very positive, pro-business attitude," Sands said. "It becomes a pretty easy choice to make."
The store fixture operation moving to Minnesota makes shelves and fixtures to display merchandise in Menards stores.
The Eau Claire jobs will be reduced by attrition and by absorbing employees into other positions. Some employees will move to Minnesota.
Menards wanted to consolidate operations from several buildings into one plant but has been unable to get building permits because of the state Department of Natural Resources, Sands said.
DNR spokesman Dave Weitz said he's familiar with only one permit Menards requested recently. It involves a warehouse to be built in a wetland. When Menards was informed the land was a wetland, officials said it would revise the project.
"What we require from Menards is exactly the same thing we require from any business in the state of Wisconsin," Weitz said.
Sands said the DNR told the company the field planned for the plant was a landing spot for migratory birds during their migration from north to south. She questioned why the birds couldn't land across the street.
"We have a number of projects in the works that we're trying to expand," Sands said.
If the projects don't come together, Menards may have to expand elsewhere, she said. The other expansions involve about 900 more jobs.
Menards closed its 34-year-old store in Belgrade in the fall. The store had been one of the town's largest employers, with 55 workers. Sands said at the time that it was profitable but was smaller than most of the town's other stores.
For those who don't who Menard's is, they're a medium-sized home improvement center. They're not known nationally like Lowe's and Home Depot but they have their niche in the Midwest selling building supplies and tools.
BUMP
That's called "voting with your feet".
Hats off to Menards. More companies should do the same.
You don't often hear of a business moving from WI to MN. Usually the other way around.
I think I found the problem...
I've been to Wisconsin.....that is the only type of land there...
Oh. How come? Because of the weather?
The permit was turned down because the site was a stopover landing spot for migrating birds? LMAO!!! Sounds to me like it was Wisconsin that was making the "excuse". I hope Menards just laughs as they pack up to leave. "See ya later, Stinktown!"
Taxes.
Maybe. OTOH, designating that part of Menard's lot as a wetlands is probably rather outlandish. It could even be a deal stopper.
I always find it ironic, that libs relish in forcing "greedy companies" out, either through unions, heavy taxation, or state EPA, then complain that the jobs have all moved away.
There must be some fundamental logic chip missing in these people where they don't understand that greedy companies have the jobs. No company = no job.
Then they blame republicans for allowing the jobs to leave.
I have debated this with people in real life, and they're answer is always "we should make laws that prevent them from leaving". Wow, how brilliant.
These people continue to cut off their noses to spite their face.
I'm sure the migratory birds will be more than willing to make up any lost tax base...everybody just relaxxxxx :0)
And favours bright red armbands.
"Save big money at Me-naaaaaards!"
So another business leaves along with their jobs. The same thing happened when that lightweight Tony Earl was in charge. Tommy Thompson reversed that and we enjoyed a spell of economic growth. I hope he comes back and runs for governor again so we can reverse this course that that know-nothing Doyle has set our state towards. The anti-business, anti-profit dopes are running things now and our stumblebum legislature can't get off their barstools long enough to pay attention. No matter what they say when they go home. We probably have one of the worst, cowardly, incompetent, self-serving, corrupt, lying, and useless legislative bodies in the country. We would do as well, or as poorly, without them. I am a Republican and the "lawmakers" from my party never fail to disappoint me.
DNR Officials React, Lawmakers Propose Summit
February 14, 2005
Andrew Fefer
DNR officials in Eau Claire said, frankly, they have no idea what exactly Menards is complaining about, and what DNR "unwilligness" led the company to decide to move a plant out of Eau Claire.
They said they were working with Menards on different proposals, and stand willing to work with them again, even after being broadsided by Friday's announcement.
DNR Spokesman Dave Weitz said Menards had applied for a permit to build a seasonal storage warehouse on adjoining land their spokesperson says they wanted a store fixture plant on.
DNR officials say they applied in July, but because the request involved grading and filling a wetland, they asked Menards to work with them on alternatives, like re-configuring the proposal.
Instead, they said Menards never contacted them again.. and withdrew the application in december.
Weitz said they haven't heard from Menards since.
"I was surprised," he said. "I went around and asked if there were any outstanding permit applications, and there aren't any."
Meanwhile, local lawmakers are proposing what they call an urgent "Menards Reaction Summit" in Madison on February 24th. They say they'll bring in the governor with DNR and Menards officials to hash out some kind of compromise.
"Under the budget constraints that we're under right now, sometimes it's a little difficult to get people to come further out of madison, so Madison may be our only alternative, " Representative Terry Moulton said.
On Friday, Menards announced they're moving a store fixture plant and nearly 100 jobs to Central Minnesota.
A company spokesperson blames the DNR's unwillingness to permit them to expand, but Weitz says they are a public agency, and are willing to talk things through with Menards or anyone else.
http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/1263957.html
Menard's originated many years ago in Eau Claire. The company has it's main base of operations there. The greenies have really taken over up there. I won't be surprised to see the entire company move out of the area.
As a side note, Menard's was racing Indy cars long before Home Depot ever thought about it.
Save big money at Menards!!!
(Sorry, had to sing it)
Depending on where you are, you might need:
a) a building permit from the town
b)water and/or sewer permits from the town/county
c)permission from any historical/preservation committee
d)permits from the state DNR
e)permits from the state/county 'waterways preservation' commitee
f)permits from the Army Corps of Engineers if you are dealing with a 'wetland'
g) EPA approvals for 'remediated' land
h) waste and chemical permits at the municipal, state, county, and federal levels
And of course, should there be any errors or changes in plans, restart the process and pay the fees again. If anything should turn out to be in violation after the approval process anyway, the project will be delayed endlessly and/or you will be fined mercilessly.
If the state wants to turn someone's land into a park, let them buy it for a fair price.
Thanks. It took me 6 years to get that jingle out of my head. Now I'll have to start over.
Its a curse, I know.
Its long the song that never ends ... it just goes on and on, my friends ...
"I was surprised," he said. "I went around and asked if there were any outstanding permit applications, and there aren't any."
Maybe this points to a problem ...
If the guy in charge had to "ask around", instead of looking the information up in the computer, there may be a problem.
Heck, he doesn't have a secretary who can look this info up?
The Menard's in Hudson, WI. had a six-foot tall stuffed bear sitting on the shelf. Some guy picked it up and walked right out the front door with it. He put it in his truck, came back in, and proceeded to take several hundred dollars worth of power tools out the same way. No one said a thing to him.
Turned out the guy worked for Menard's as a loss prevention specialist. The corporate offices were not happy people when he filed his report. And no, the store didn't get its merchandise back. The value was deducted from management's bonus checks.
I used to live next door to Ray Szmanda.
That's what I was thinking.
Of course, I more often hear of companies moving from MN to SD for much lower taxes.
Right, this is the only swamp for birds to land in the entire state. Without this swamp birds would be crashing thru windows looking for bathtubs to wade in. Millions of birds circle the state, waiting for clearance, to land on this lone piece of swamp at Menards.
Should any Wisconsinite fill a kiddy pool with water, it will soon be inundated with 10,000 ducks desparate for a bit of wet in desert dry Wisconsin. Wisconsin's greatest exports are cactus salad and desert tortoise soup.
Wisconsin has no swamps. It's entirely paved over with Menards parking lots and what remains is covered by bureaucratic desks.
The Horicon marsh where birds hang out is a PR scam by the state. It's really a giant parking lot for fast food joints and should be called "Soup, Sloughs & Sandwich."
Ping.
Moving a business from WI to MN, talk about frying pan -> fire...
Well if the admin changes to DFL any time in the near future you can count on Menards relocating to SD somewhere on I-29.
;)
Arghhhh! Glad I don't have to build anything!
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