{"id":1381,"date":"2016-04-24T16:55:19","date_gmt":"2016-04-24T16:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/minutes.machine.market\/?p=1381"},"modified":"2016-04-24T16:55:19","modified_gmt":"2016-04-24T16:55:19","slug":"wisconsins-right-to-work-law-is-paying-off-for-hoffman-construction-co","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/machine.market\/blog\/wisconsins-right-to-work-law-is-paying-off-for-hoffman-construction-co\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law is paying off for Hoffman Construction Co"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The owner of a Black River Falls-based construction company says a decision to expand in Minnesota because of Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law is paying off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jim Hoffman, president of Hoffman Construction Co<\/a>., opted to ramp up his business\u2019 presence in the neighboring state last year because of the implications Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law, and it has acquired $85 million in Minnesota state highway contracts because of it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a political decision \u2014 it was a business decision,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cIt was basically following our market. I saw indications that Wisconsin was headed in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAs businessman, I had to listen to my market instead of fight it. I had to follow where I\u2019d have the best luck for success, which so far has come true.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Hoffman was a vocal opponent of the right-to-work law that was signed by Gov. Scott Walker in early 2015 because the nearly 100-year-old BRF company is a union contractor that use workers from International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 in Wisconsin and 49 in Minnesota. Right-to-work legislation allows members to opt out of joining a union and paying related dues, a measure that Hoffman believes will \u201cslowly erode the union\u2019s ability to provide the skilled workers\u201d needed over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOne of the reasons I am so successful as a businessman is because of my workers,\u201d he said. \u201cOur company is our people \u2014 that\u2019s our company motto.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hoffman also noted Wisconsin passed some changes to its prevailing wage laws and the state currently bonds a \u201csignificant portion\u201d of its highway program \u2014 another two factors for growing business in Minnesota, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s erosion of some of the reasons why we\u2019ve been successful in the past,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cI see changes going forward. We\u2019re trying to move the political process with real-world construction business.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hoffman Construction keeps its main office in Black River Falls but added additional staff to an office in Lakeville, Minn., in light of the expansion. The company acquired five Minnesota state highway contracts during the past six months and also is working on two Interstate 90 and 94 projects in Wisconsin near Tomah and La Crosse at a total value of $38.4 million.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe are going to have to do a lot of hiring here in Minnesota,\u201d John Klein, Hoffman Construction\u2019s Minnesota area manager, said in a statement. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to the opportunities out there. Currently the Minnesota legislature is deciding on a 2016 transportation budget. I\u2019ve been in contact with my Minnesota representatives asking them to responsibly fund the Minnesota transportation program.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The company on average has completed more than 80 percent of its work with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in the past but the figure now has dropped to 50 percent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s a function of the type of work the (Wisconsin) DOT is bidding, the lack of work and also just increased competition,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cThere\u2019s some carry-over jobs, but we just haven\u2019t been able to add any new jobs. We keep bidding on them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hoffman\u2019s recent announcement about the effects of the company\u2019s Minnesota expansion came on the same day a Dane County judge struck down Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law. The judge the next week finalized the decision that bars the state from enforcing the law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said the state plans to appeal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe wholeheartedly disagree with Judge Foust\u2019s decision and final order,\u201d Schimel said in a statement. \u201cI am confident the law ultimately will be upheld and Wisconsin will remain a right-to-work state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0<\/strong>Cassandra Colson Jackson County Chronicle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The owner of a Black River Falls-based construction company says a decision to expand in Minnesota because of Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law is paying off. Jim Hoffman, president of Hoffman Construction Co., opted to ramp up his business\u2019 presence in the neighboring state last year because of the implications Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law, and it has acquired […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[1281],"yoast_head":"\nWisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law is paying off for Hoffman Construction Co - MachineMarket Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cranemarket.com\/blog\/wisconsins-right-to-work-law-is-paying-off-for-hoffman-construction-co\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law is paying off for Hoffman Construction Co - MachineMarket Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The owner of a Black River Falls-based construction company says a decision to expand in Minnesota because of Wisconsin\u2019s right-to-work law is paying off. 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