Sen. Tammy Baldwin tours businesses in Sturgeon Bay

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Wednesday toured three Sturgeon Bay companies whose owners said their businesses will be harmed if Congress fails to reauthorize the federal Export-Import Bank.

Baldwin made stops at Marine Travelift and its sister company, Exac Tech Inc., which manufacture hoists and lifts for boat handling equipment. Local U.S. Coast Guardsmen also joined the tour of Marine Travelift to get a firsthand look at one of the recently manufactured hoists that will be used at a Coast Guard station in Galveston.

The senator also toured Dan's Fish Inc. to speak with company president Dan Schwarz and director Gretel Sannikas about concerns they have with several foreign trade practices of the federal government. All three companies are located in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park.

Marine Travelift employs about 160 people and ships lifts to every continent except Antarctica, said Paul Lundahl, government contract administrator for the company. Up to 40 percent of their equipment is exported, and 75 percent of the supplies to build their products come from other Wisconsin manufacturers.

The Export-Import Bank is the official credit agency of the U.S. government, helping to finance companies that export goods abroad. The agency's authorization is set to expire Sept. 30, ending assistance to thousands of U.S. exporters that benefit from the federal agency. Baldwin said the bank has helped 177 Wisconsin businesses, and 105 of those are small businesses that export nearly $4 billion worth of goods and products.

"Different countries finance projects in different ways," Baldwin said. "U.S. banks often won't work with foreign financial systems they don't understand."

Historically the Export-Import Bank has been supported in both houses of Congress and is expected to be reauthorized in the Senate, Baldwin said. But she said there has been some opposition in the House by members who don't understand how critical it is to local manufacturers.

Baldwin said Congress needs to help U.S. companies compete in the global market and that Congress also needs to buy from companies in the U.S. rather than abroad.

"When the federal government makes purchases – and that's everything from clothing to boat hoists – whenever possible, they should be buying from U.S. companies, supporting U.S. jobs," she said. "There has been a steady erosion of "buy America policies, and we need to reverse that trend."

Travelift President Erich Pfeifer said if the Export-Import Bank is not extended, "It will make it more difficult for our customers to obtain financing."

At Dan's Fish, Baldwin saw a facility during its slow time of year when there are only about 10 employees. But this fall about 50 people gear up as the commercial fishing season around the Great Lakes delivers fish and fish eggs that the company sells as caviar and frozen fish around the globe.

Millions of pounds of freshwater fish are processed, coming mainly from the Bayfield area and Lake Michigan waters, and 30-40 percent of it is exported. About 40-50 tons of caviar is exported a year. The facility has regional headquarters in Europe under the name Seafood International in Estonia. Commercial fishermen surrounding Door County rely on Dan's to freeze, sell and distribute their product.

Schwarz discussed U.S. regulatory issues that he said have hurt his exports to Russia and China and favor large businesses. Baldwin offered suggestions and said her staff will do further research. She called the visit an "eye-opening" experience after learning some of the regulatory roadblocks he was having with federal agencies.

The company president said he has used the "ex-im bank" for 10 years and has told other businesses who feared shipping product to foreign countries he has never had a loss. He said he has encouraged them to use the export-import bank.

"It makes me and my banker sleep better at night knowing we'll get paid," he said.

"It's safer than selling to Illinois," Schwarz said with chuckle.

Dan's Fish Inc. freezes, stores and wholesales frozen whitefish, bluegills, perch, and Renard's breaded cheese curds as well as frozen cherries. Ninety percent of the fish sold at Door County restaurants came from Dan's.