Smoother roads, more jobs ahead for Village of Caledonia

CALEDONIA (WITI) -- The Village of Caledonia is the recipient of a Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant. The $960,000 award will assist with a road and intersection improvement project leading to the Caledonia Business Park.

Governor Scott Walker announced the grant on Tuesday, May 6th.

This TEA grant will support the creation and retention of 192 jobs – the majority at UNICO, a maker of industrial control and drive systems.

UNICO is expanding its manufacturing facility in the Caledonia Business Park; adding 170 new jobs and keeping 15 current positions. Midland Packaging and Display, also located in the business park, will up its workforce by seven positions as a result of the WisDOT grant. Midland manufactures corrugated, foam and other packaging materials.

In addition to the 192 direct jobs, this TEA award will indirectly support another 228 jobs in southeastern Wisconsin – for a total of 420 jobs associated with this project.  The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) previously awarded tax credits to expand both the UNICO facility and its workforce.

UNICO and Midland Packaging and Display are both located along Nicholson Road, which is a village-owned street. To improve safety and efficiently accommodate heavy truck traffic, Nicholson Road will be reconstructed, with a wider cross-section, from County K to Industrial Drive. The project also includes improvements to three intersections along Nicholson Road. WisDOT’s $960,000 contribution represents half of the $1,912,000 project cost. The other half is being paid for by the village of Caledonia. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2015.

Since 1987, Wisconsin’s TEA grant program has invested more than $94.6 million in 335 projects benefiting 366 businesses and creating or retaining more than 81,000 jobs around the state.

For a complete listing of TEA grants and project details, visit the TEA page on the WisDOT website: http://www.dot.wi.gov/localgov/aid/tea.htm.