Green Bay Area Construction Jobs Down From 2010

The summer construction season is finally under way, but still lagging in jobs.

Jeff Sachse, regional labor analyst for the state Department of Workforce Development, said the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area — which includes Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto counties — was about 600 construction jobs short of last year as of May. What is not yet clear is whether that is structural or because of bad weather.

"A lot of contractors I talked to said they started a lot of projects three weeks late this year because of wet weather," he said.

Construction jobs totaled 5,100 in March, 6,100 in April and 6,200 in May. That compares with 6,800 in May 2010 and about 7,000 throughout the summer.

In a normal economic recovery, improvement in the housing market leads the way by creating construction jobs. But home prices haven't stopped falling, and the construction industry nationally has shed 8 percent of its workers since June 2009 — 474,000 jobs in all.

"The hiring patterns are being driven so much by residential construction right now," Sachse said.

While there are some larger commercial projects under way — and more planned — that segment also is struggling.

Mike Johnson, president and founder of IEI General Contractors Inc. of De Pere, said he's hoping at least to maintain business at last year's much-reduced level.

"We are all worried about the long term," he said. "We don't see a lot in the future in any specific area. It's not unusual to see 12 to 15 bidders on a project. And there are people coming from outside the area, too."

IEI is overseeing construction of the new Menards Home Improvement Store in De Pere and will vie for the Menards planned for Howard.

"If we are fortunate enough to get both of those, that will help a lot," he said.

The Menards project will employ about 20 IEI workers, and 60 construction workers at its peak.

Not all is gloomy.

Jeff Knaus of Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400 in Kaukauna said this year is better than last, due in part to a lot of maintenance projects.

The recently completed refueling and capacity upgrade for Unit 2 at Point Beach Nuclear Plant and a number of wastewater treatment plant projects are keeping union members busy, he said. Also, Point Beach's Unit 1 will be refueled and upgraded in the fall, and Marinette Marine in Marinette and Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay have full dockets.

"There's a lot of maintenance work and it's more promising as far as the two shipyards," Knaus said. "They could all use more work, there's no doubt. The light-commercial end is lagging a little bit."

Jeff Gaecke of Howard, executive director of the Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin, said word of new projects is hopeful.

"Anytime you start to hear $50 million projects (Schreiber Foods) are being constructed, it's a positive thing for our community," he said. "I don't necessarily know if (the improvement) has gotten to our members yet."

Projects under way include the Watermark/Younkers redevelopment project in downtown Green Bay, CVS Pharmacy at North Webster Avenue and Main Street, and the Velp Avenue and U.S. 41 highway reconstruction.

Projects on the drawing boards include the Howard Menards, Schreiber Foods Inc. in downtown Green Bay and Veterans Administration medical center on University Avenue in Green Bay.

Sachse said the U.S. 41 work is slower than last summer because much of the work now — mostly on bridges — is less labor intensive.

Tim Rinn, director of business development for Ganther Construction of Oshkosh, which is overseeing the Younkers redevelopment in downtown Green Bay, said businesses that have been considering new projects are thinking now is a good time to get started.

"I think what they are finding is labor has stayed pretty consistently low, but materials are going up," he said. "There is no reason to wait anymore."

Johnson and Rinn said construction companies are looking for the next niche to specialize in.

"We landed the national Jiffy Lube contract. If you look at the demographic shift … it's the biggest demographic shift you've ever seen," Rinn said. "Who who's over 65 is going to crawl under their car and change the oil?"

The impact, too, depends on how much local labor contractors employ. Rinn said that for the Younkers project, Ganther will hire local subcontractors whenever possible.

Sachse said the larger commercial jobs will smooth out the seasonality of employment, but there aren't enough of them yet to cause significant improvement."There is a lot of activity going on. The people that are employed are keeping busy. There just isn't enough to increase hiring," he said.

Green Bay Area Motels Offer a Glimpse of the Past

Survivors from an age when cars were loaded with chrome and the roadside gleamed with neon signs continue to dot Green Bay's landscape.

Independent motels — some dating back nearly 60 years — continue to function much the same way they have since the 1950s and 1960s. Minus the vintage automobiles, Green Bay's remaining motels mostly retain their original appearance, and are nearly identical to the classic postcards from yesteryear.

By skimming through 1950s city directories, many of Green Bay motels not only are still around, but have also kept their original names. The Packer City Motel, Sky-lit Motel, Bay Motel and Tower Motel all date back to 1952-1962, and continue to operate well into the 21st century.

After the highway system began to develop in the United States in the first quarter of the 20th century, driving long distances became more common. Unlike many hotels that were generally located in the city center, the motel offered inexpensive lodging near main routes. The Wisconsin Historical Society notes that motels increased in popularity from a business perspective as well, as they were easier to construct and maintain. They note that "motels used exterior ornamentation and gimmicks to attract guests, and were remodeled to appear modern." This is evident in Green Bay's motels simply by reading the back of a postcard from the era. Flashy signs, catchy names and novelties were employed throughout with each new establishment.Capitalizing on the team that put the city on the map, perhaps the oldest surviving motel in town is the Packer City Motel at 1957 Main Street. Dating to about 1952, it technically was outside of the city limits when first constructed, as the town of Preble and Green Bay had not yet been consolidated. An early postcard refers to its location as: "South East of Green Bay, On Highway 29 and 141," and boasts it was "Northeast Wisconsin's Largest Ultra Modern Motel" with "42 De Luxe Rooms." Mr. and Mrs. Leo P. Braspenick were listed as early — if not the original — proprietors. A bird's-eye view of the establishment gives the impression it existed in a remote location, with nothing but open fields visible in the horizon. Fifty-nine years later, the large green neon sign signaling vacancies and offering food has been replaced, and the white picket fence is now gone. Otherwise, the red brick buildings appear untouched from the outside.