THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONTHLY MEETING WAS HELD AT THE COMFORT
INN OVER THE NOON HOUR TODAY. CHAMBER PRESIDENT TOM DEVINE CONDUCTED THE MEETING AND AFTER SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS, INTRODUCED THE GUEST SPEAKER SHOWN
HERE. HE IS SCOTT BOWER, PLANT MANAGER OF THE HUSCO INTERNATIONAL
PLANT IN THE SOUTH INDUSTRIAL PARK. THE COMPANY IS MAQUOKETA'S NEWEST
INDUSTRY AND IS LOCATED IN THE LARGE GENERAC BUILDING. GENERAC STILL OWNS
THE BUILDING AND USES A PORTION OF IT FOR WAREHOUSING AND THE OTHER PART,
ABOUT 85,000 SQUARE FEET, IS LEASED TO HUSCO. HUSCO, LIKE GENERAC, IS
OUT OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. THEY HAVE A PLANT IN WAUKESHA AND WHITEWATER
AND ALSO ABROAD IN CHINA AND A SMALL OPERATION IN INDIA. ALSO A SALES
OFFICE IN BRAZIL. IN MAQUOKETA, THEY EMPLOY AROUND 100. THEY MANUFACTURE
HYDRAULIC CONTROL VALUES FOR TRUCKS AND TRACTORS AND ARE A BUSY, GOING
INDUSTRY. HERE IN MAQUOKETA, IN NOVEMBER, THEY WILL START UP THEIR 7TH
LINE AND WILL THEN BE AT NEAR CAPACITY IN THEIR BUILDING. BOWER'S MAIN
MESSAGE WAS HOW THE MAQUOKETA PLANT IS DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM THEY HAD
WITH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER. IT WAS AT A HIGH 78% LAST YEAR AND WITH THEIR
NEW POINT-SYSTEM, THEY HAVE REDUCED THAT TO 27% THIS YEAR, A MAJOR DROP
BUT STILL HIGHER THAN THEY WANT IT TO BE. I WON'T GO INTO MORE DETAIL
BUT ONLY WRITE THAT I WAS IMPRESSED WITH BOWER AND WHAT HIS COMPANY IS
DOING AND AM CONFIDENT WE HAVE A GOOD, GROWING INDUSTRY HERE FOR YEARS TO COME!
CLICK-ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT. IF IT DOES NOT ENLARGE RIGHT AWAY, MESS WITH
IT A LITTLE MORE AND THE PHOTO WILL ENLARGE. NOT SURE WHY THIS IS NOW
HAPPENING AND WILL HAVE DAVE CHECK INTO IT.
PHOTO AND CAPTION BY DENNIS VOY