Casperson visits Ironwood

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood - With the Michigan legislature on spring break, state Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, visited Ironwood Wednesday, taking a tour of Precision Tool & Mold.

Casperson, along with state Rep. Ed McBroom - a Republican who represents Delta, Dickinson and Menominee counties in the 108th District - toured the factory to see the company's production process where it manufactures parts that can be used in a range of products from fish-bait containers, to pistols, to mouth guards.

Following the tour, the pair of legislators met with company executives to talk about the experience of doing business in Michigan.

Following the meeting, Casperson told the Daily Globe spring break allowed him a chance to visit the parts of the district his schedule normally prevented him from getting to.

"We're on our spring break, I've been traveling the district," Casperson said. "I've got a two-fold situation going on, I'm making the run for Congress, but I'm also still the state senator. And so with spring break it makes it easy to get over to Ironwood and over to the west end (of the Upper Peninsula)."

Casperson said the visit allowed him to see a number of exciting companies, including Precision Tool.

"The plant and what they are producing here, is very impressive. I think it fits right in with (the earlier discussion about) what's needed out there for skills in the labor force," Casperson said. "Clearly, they need some technical skills, but it does sound to me like there are some great opportunities in a company like this for people to make a great living and support a family."

Casperson and McBroom said the visit reinforces the idea that there are plenty of opportunities for those who choose not to pursue the traditional path of a four-year degree following high school graduation. The difficult thing, according to the legislators, is changing the cultural mindset and providing ways for young people to tap into those opportunities.

"I think we've got to get better, at a very young age, talking to our kids - both ends, the school side of it and the parent side of it - about these opportunities and start shaping the direction of the kids where they are going," Casperson said. "Simply telling them they have to have a four-year degree or they won't be successful makes no sense to me."

Precision Tool was just one of the companies that the legislators said was doing exciting things in the U.P.

"There is a lot of things going on here, and whether we're building ships, making helicopters, making small plastic parts or mouth guards, making paper, mining things out of the ground - the U.P. has a dynamic economy," McBroom said.