President Barack Obama spoke yesterday to a crowd of employees and local officials at Master Lock Company, the world’s largest producer of pad locks, about creating American jobs. It was the president’s first visit to Wisconsin since 2010.

Obama discussed his push for economic fairness and touted his “Blueprint for an America Built to Last,” a plan that aims to revitalize American manufacturing by encouraging businesses to keep jobs in the U.S. and by decreasing deductions for shipping jobs overseas.

As he did in his Jan. 24 State of the Union address, the president praised Master Lock, located at the corner of 32nd and Center Streets, for bringing 100 jobs from China back to the Milwaukee area.

“Milwaukee, we are not going back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt and phony financial profits,” Obama said. “We need an economy that is built to last — that is built on American manufacturing, American know-how and American-made energy.”

A call to the White House was directed to a press release, which said “Master Lock is improving productivity at its plant in Milwaukee by upgrading equipment, and the company plans to continue bringing jobs back to Wisconsin.”

In addition to discussing job growth and economic development, Obama elaborated on specific steps his administration has taken to encourage insourcing, including eliminating tax loopholes that make it easy for businesses to move overseas and offering tax cuts for companies that employ exclusively American workers.

He also announced the Department of Commerce will host the first ever “SelectUSA Investment Summit,” which will bring together international businesses and officials like governors and mayors to discuss economic matters.

The president appealed to both Democrats and Republicans in the audience by saying that America always pulls through hardships, both economic and otherwise, by working together.

“These are not Democratic values or Republican values,” Obama said. “These are American values. They have seen us through the most difficult challenges – through war and depressions and civil strife. But we’ve always come out on the other side stronger than we were before.”