(WisBusiness) THURS News Summary — 26 Feb. 2009

From WisBusiness.com …

— The number of U.S. workers continuing to claim jobless benefits hit 5.1 million in the second week of February, setting a new record.

See more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/29406024

— Gov. Jim Doyle says the high-speed rail he has seen in Spain would have “a tremendous application for what we could do in the United States and the Midwest,” adding that the Janesville GM plant could get into the train-manufacturing business.

“I hope GM will be in that plant, and I’ve had talks with GM in the last couple of weeks even about it. That’s still something I haven’t given up the possibility of. But if not we need to find another big-time, high-quality manufacturer and it seems to me that rail may be a possible answer,” Doyle said.

The governor is in Spain this week meeting with government and business officials and touring passenger rail car manufacturing facilities.

While he’s in Spain, Doyle is also trying to cultivate business partnerships, and he said he has spoken with Spanish business officials about potential partnerships with Wisconsin manufacturers, such as Super Steel in Milwaukee. And he said he has spoken “very specifically” about the idle GM plant in Janesville as a potential manufacturing site for passenger rail cars, though he hasn’t given up hope that the auto manufacturer will put the plant back to work.

Read more: http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=150378

— While emphasizing that the city and country face significant challenges, Mayor Tom Barrett highlighted progress Milwaukee has made in a number of areas and expressed optimism for the future in his State of the City address.

“We will make smart investments, continue to build strong partnerships, provide training to our workforce and improve our public schools,” Barrett said. “We will emerge as a stronger and more competitive city.”

Barrett pointed to a number of new developments and expansions in local businesses that have created new jobs in the city. He highlighted opportunities in high speed rail and improvements to local transit presented by the federal stimulus package and Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget plan.

In addition to money for commuter rail, Barrett said he will also seek stimulus funding to repair the Kinnikinnick River channel, clean up the former site of Tower Automotive, continue lead abatement efforts, weatherize older homes, help the police department and cover some of the costs for a 17-mile pipeline from a landfill in Muskego to provide fuel for the city’s water treatment plant.

See more from his speech: http://milwaukee.wispolitics.com/index.iml?mdl=articles.mdl&Issue_ID=3698#art10903

— Badger Corrugating Company in La Crosse filed notice with the state announcing a potential layoff of 150 to 190 employees as a result of a bank action.

See the state filing: http://wisbusiness.com/1008/large/090225badger.pdf

— JW Peters of Burlington announced a temporary layoff of unknown duration for an estimated 81 workers.

See the state filing: http://wisbusiness.com/1008/090225JWpeters.pdf

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WisBusiness.com Luncheon featuring Carl Gulbrandsen of WARF MONDAY, March 2, 11:45 a.m.

The next WisBusiness.com Luncheon at the Madison Club, organized by the Madison Club, Madison Magazine, and WisBusiness.com, is slated for Monday March 2 at 11:45 a.m.. The guest is Carl Gulbrandsen of WARF

The event is open to the public, and the price for lunch is $19. Call the Madison Club to register at (608) 255-4861. The luncheon starts at 11:45 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.

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