2,000 hear Bush in Appleton Owen L. Jones, right, of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers District Council of Wisconsin, protests as President Bush's motorcade moves along College Avenue in Greenville, Tuesday, in Appleton, Wis. (AP Photo/The Post Crescent, Dan Powers) By GRETCHEN EHLKE Associated Press Writer APPLETON, Wis. (AP) - President Bush delivered his ideas for strengthening the nation's economy to a receptive crowd, while laborers gathered at an empty lot a mile away where a manufacturing plant closed and sent work overseas. An enthusiastic crowd of at least 2,000 sprinkled Bush's economic remarks with loud applause at the city's Performing Arts Center and chanted "four more years" when the president finished. In a speech billed as an official visit by the White House, not a campaign stop, Bush talked about the hurdles the nation has overcome in the last several years, including the stock market decline, the recession and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "The resolve of the country is incredible when tested," Bush said. Bush used Wisconsin's improved unemployment rate _ down to 5.2 percent in February from 5.8 percent a year ago and below the national average of 5.6 percent _ to show the economy was improving. He sympathized with employees who may be uncertain about layoffs in a state that has lost 2,000 paper industry jobs in the last year, many in the Fox Valley, and 80,000 manufacturing jobs since he took office. "I understand that people are worried about the jobs they have," Bush said. A mile down the road from the president's speech, a dozen union members affiliated with the NorthEast Wisconsin Building and Construction Trades Council gathered at the former site of Rich's Products Manufacturing, a frozen food producer shuttered in March 2002. Former Rich's employee Jane Christenson said the company moved its production to Mexico, Korea and Canada. "The only jobs left in the Fox Valley are low paying which the taxpayers end up paying through Badgercare," Christenson said, referring to the state health insurance program for the working poor. Bush told chamber of commerce members that 70 percent of all new jobs are created by small businesses, so the government's focus should be on easing regulations and barriers to their success. That would include allowing small businesses to pool health insurance for their employees. Small businessman Craig Lutz placed a homemade sign along the presidential motorcade route, showing his phone number and asking that the president call him to talk about issues. "We're regulated to death," said Lutz, owner of a furniture restoration business. Health care costs and federal regulations are overburdening his business, according to Lutz, who never got that call from Bush. While the state AFL-CIO points to the loss of 80,000 manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin since January 2001, Bush talked about signs of optimism _ increased manufacturing activity and low inflation and interest rates. "We have overcome a lot," he said. Marquette University economics professor William Smiley said the loss of manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin was overstated. "Firms became lazy during the boom of the 1990s and were not trying to be as efficient," Smiley said. "What they've done in this recovery is to reorganize production and use labor more effectively." Bush stepped down from the stage after his speech to greet many of those sitting in the front row. He also shared the stage with local business people, including Chip Coenen, vice president of business development at Community First Credit Union. Coenen said Bush "spoke from the heart and the fabric of who he is as a leader."