LAONA, Wis. — "Unfounded," "subjective" and "disheartening" was how the president of a Wisconsin-based flooring company described a recent announcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Peter Connor, president of WD Flooring LLC, was responding to a March 1, OSHA statement that cited the flooring company with safety violations at a Laona, Wisconsin, facility. 

Here is Connor's full statement:

"We at WD Flooring are deeply disappointed by OSHA's recent release of what we perceive to be unfounded and subjective assessments of our facility. We find it disheartening that such claims have been made public before experts have had the opportunity to analyze OSHA's egregious claims thoroughly.

It is evident that our industry, despite its proven track record of success and adherence to safety standards, is being targeted unjustly. The bigger question for our elected officials, in light of claims of not just our workplace but dozens of others, is whether this is part of a broader campaign to assault and ruin the Forest Products Industry. 

WD Flooring has always prioritized the safety and well-being of our employees, implementing rigorous safety measures to ensure a secure workplace environment. This commitment remains steadfast despite OSHA's attempts to portray us as anything but safety-conscious. American manufacturing is the most highly regulated in the world, and these fantastical claims, fines, and opinions will be challenged.

Regrettably, our company, which has garnered national recognition and accolades for its achievements, is being used as a symbolic martyr in what appears to be a political game of one-upmanship. While we are shocked by these actions, we are not entirely surprised. It appears this is as a form of political grandstanding, which unfortunately seems to be part of a wider effort to undermine and attack the wood products industry in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Furthermore, we cannot overlook the broader context of over-regulation that is plaguing American businesses. All these PR headlines do is push manufacturing to other countries, continents and to less sustainable products."