Fischer’s trip role criticized
At least two businessmen who went on the state’s March trade mission to Ireland and the United Kingdom said they were disappointed with Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer, one even saying Fischer hurt his efforts.
“I’m not sure of Jack’s purpose on the trip but it did nothing to help any of the participants’ businesses,” Chris Frigo of Forte Composites wrote in his official evaluation of the trade mission.
Frigo said the trade mission overall was effective and handled well, but that Fischer himself was not helpful.
“Jack Fischer’s participation of the mission was not representative or positive for Wisconsin business,” Frigo wrote in the evaluation, released to the Journal Sentinel under the state’s open records law. “On several occasions during the trip I was embarrassed that he was our leader. His rambling speech during the embassy reception caused the premature end to the party as most of us were just warming up to the prospects.”
Another participant in the trip, Bonstone Materials owner Mike Beckmann, concurred in an interview Wednesday.
Huebsch said he did not know details about Fischer’s travel costs. But he said Fischer’s job is “going out and finding people who want to do business in Wisconsin. You can’t always do that by phone.”
Tags: occ, prospects, the trip, Trip
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Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 at 10:06 pm under