Well, Wall Street loves the deal.
Check out Journal Sentinel and Reuters stories with some positive reaction to the news Sunday night that Bucyrus International was spending $1.3 billion to purchase the mining division of Terex Corporation … and perhaps move 500 jobs to South Milwaukee.
Now the question is: What does the deal mean for South Milwaukee? More specifically, what does it mean for downtown South Milwaukee?
I hope it means everything — that it’s the tipping for the real revitalization we need downtown.
During my campaign for alderman, I noted that we need to do more to partner with Bucyrus to promote and grow our downtown. It only makes sense.
Bucyrus stands at the heart of our downtown. Draw a four-block circle around the complex, and that’s South Milwaukee’s city center.
This is a huge opportunity for us, a point of difference, a competitive advantage. How many other cities can boast this? Other than Cudahy, I can’t think of another community in the area, maybe the state, in a similar situation.
Let’s seize on this opportunity. Let’s shout from the rooftops that South Milwaukee is home to what is now the world’s largest mining equipment manufacturer, home to a company that is committed to growth even in the worst of economic times.
A few things we could do:
- Call out Bucyrus’ presence as part of our city welcome signs, something like, “Welcome to South Milwaukee: Home of Bucyrus International.” This, honestly, seems like an easy one, and I wonder why we haven’t done this already.
- Market the Bucyrus complex as a destination for visitors. About a year ago, Bucyrus opened a mining museum as part of its Heritage Building. Didn’t know that? You’re not alone. I see this museum as a nice attraction for the city, if promoted well. I’d also like to see it be open longer. At this point, it’s only open every other Saturday. Regular plant open houses and additional plant tour opportunities could make the facility — and, by extension, downtown South Milwaukee — a true tourist attraction.
- Better promote downtown businesses to Bucyrus employees — those already there and the potentially 500 new ones on their way. The South Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce attempts this with an annual business fair, and the South Milwaukee Downtown Market also reaches out to Bucyrus employees. I’d like to see other activities aimed at getting those employees to shop and eat “local.”
- Develop communications aimed at enticing the new (and existing) Bucyrus employees to buy homes in South Milwaukee. Let’s make South Milwaukee the starting point for their house hunt — not Oak Creek or Franklin.
Of course, these are just a few things we can do. Whatever happens, I hope the Bucyrus announcement at least gets the conversation started about our downtown area — a conversation that right now isn’t happening. I’d love to hear what you think.
South Milwaukee Blog 