Gov. Scott Walker: 'There Are Going To Be Peaks and Valleys'

Coming off the heels of a poor jobs growth report Thursday, Gov. Scott Walker touted a small employment victory in Caledonia Friday morning.

Walker highlighted a building expansion at Milwaukee Light Bulb Co., 4135 NE Frontage Road, this morning that would add 12 jobs over the next four years. The visit came after the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported the state lost 4,300 private sector jobs in February. The DWD also stated Wisconsin has added a total of 15,600 private sector jobs this year.

The governor's Caledonia visit was one of many stops he made this week. He was . He made another . And he is expected in Lincolnshire, IL, Friday night at a fundraising gala for the Lake County Republican Federation.

If all these visits feel like a campaign, it's not by accident. Walker told reporters after the Springfield event that he was "absolutely" campaigning, according to the State Journal-Register. 

Walker faces recall in June, largely due to backlash over eliminating collective bargaining for many of the state's public employees. 

“I firmly believe if we’re going to put people to work in this state, that it’s five, ten, and fifteen jobs at a time. And the reason I’m here is not just to celebrate this growth, but it’s also to send a message to other employers – that there are companies out there that are willing to take that risk,” Walker said.

The risk that Todd Reich, president and owner of Milwaukee Light Bulb, is taking may not sound like much, but for his business – it’s huge.

Reich started his business over 20 years ago in a farmhouse in Caledonia. Now, he’s looking to expand his business and will put on an 8,000-square-foot addition to his 18,000-square-foot business in Franksville.

Reich received a $69,000 tax credit over four years from the state to help defray the $550,000 expansion cost and he’ll be hiring 12 people over that same timeframe. The expansion is a big deal, Reich said, because the company only has 13 employees in Wisconsin right now.

“The tax credits are a big help because with the new (building) codes we’re going to have to spend $150,000 to update the existing facilities — restroom facilities, firewalls etc,” Reich said. “These are all good laws that we have to comply with, but they are expensive.”

In a press conference held after the announcement, Walker said he’s still optimistic about Wisconsin’s jobs climate and pointed to the state’s unemployment numbers saying that its at the lowest point since 2008 at 6.8 percent for February 2012.

One of the biggest challenges has been Milwaukee County, Walker said.

“We’re going to have peaks and valleys…We need to continue to help the City of Milwaukee grow so that the state as a whole can grow,” Walker said. “They’ve got a much higher unemployment rate than the state, but we also have to continue to help Milwaukee, Racine and Rock counties.”