Portage County Business Council reacts to Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit

PLOVER, Wis. (WSAW) - The Portage County Business Council is sharing its excitement ahead of Vice President JD Vance’s visit to central Wisconsin on Thursday.

The Vice President plans to talk about the Trump Administration’s accomplishments at a machining facility in Plover.

President and CEO of the Portage County Business Council, Michael Witte, told NewsChannel 7 he is excited for the visit. He said the stops right after the State of the Union address are highly sought after, and it is huge for the area to be recognized.

Witte also stated he believes it is the first time presidential leadership is coming to Plover.

“It doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you’re on, this is an exciting time for Portage County and Plover specifically,” said Witte. “It puts us in the national spotlight, and there is nothing more exciting for our community than to have JD here.”

Witte said he hopes VP Vance takes away the fact that Plover and Portage County as a whole are in a growth mode, with new homes and expanding businesses.

Witte touched on the strong manufacturing group in Portage County.

“We have large companies like Pointe Precision and Steel King, and then we have smaller manufacturing companies like Sunset Engineering. So we really have a mix of very small businesses to very large businesses. And I think it’s an exciting time for all the businesses as manufacturing is highlighted with the Vice President’s visit,” Witte said.

The White House has not released specific details on where and when the Vice President will be visiting the area.

Click here* to download the WSAW news app or WSAW First Alert weather app.*

Click here* to submit a news tip or story idea.*

Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.