Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) announced today they have “launched a new statewide coalition of 146 business groups, local chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, employers and workers” to support the effort to bring a $10 billion investment by Foxconn to southeastern Wisconsin. From the press release:
As part of its immediate advocacy efforts, in addition to direct lobbying ahead of pending State Senate action, the coalition addressed lawmakers in a letter from its list of 146 and growing members, and launched an interactive website and social media rapid response platform providing “Foxconn Facts” to lawmakers, the media and the public.
The Wisconn Valley Jobs Coalition was formed to inform the public and policymakers of the transformational impact Foxconn will have not only on southeastern Wisconsin, but the entire state. From the thousands of family-supporting jobs that will be directly created by Foxconn to the indirect jobs in construction, the supply chain and other services, this is an opportunity like never before.
“This is an unprecedented investment in Wisconsin, and we hope legislators move quickly to approve the legislation that is a key part of attracting Foxconn to our state,” said Kurt R. Bauer, WMC President/CEO. “This type of investment will bring both jobs and people to our great state, and there is no reason the legislation should not receive broad bipartisan support.”
The bill creating the enterprise zone for the Foxconn development passed the state Assembly 59-30 on a mostly party-line vote. The state Senate referred the bill to the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee which held a public hearing on Tuesday in Sturtevant.
The legislation would offer Foxconn up to nearly $3 billion in tax credits and sales tax exemptions. The tax credits are pay-for-performance, and the company would receive them depending on their infrastructure investment and the number of employees they hire. The Foxconn manufacturing facility is expected to hire 3,000 workers to start and could grown to 13,000 jobs. In addition, 10,000 workers could be employed to build the expected $10 billion manufacturing facility, Construction could begin on three plants at the site as early as next year,
A report by the Wisconsin Technology Council released Monday says that 39,000 jobs could be created by the Foxconn project and the state could see a return of $3.90 for every $1 invested.
The Foxconn Technology group responded to the formation of the coalition with a statement:
“We thank the Wisconn Valley Jobs Coalition and business leaders across Wisconsin for their support in bringing investment and innovation to the state. Their commitment and vision are among the reasons Foxconn Technology Group has decided to build a state-of-the-art advanced display manufacturing campus in Southeastern Wisconsin. We value strong partnerships and look forward to joining with these hard-working businesses and entrepreneurs as we lay the groundwork for economic success together.”
WMC posted the full list of coalition members on their website. This is the text of the coalition’s letter to Wisconsin’s state senators:
August 24, 2017
Senators,
We represent businesses, entrepreneurs, workers and community leaders across Wisconsin as part of the Wisconn Valley Jobs Coalition, an organization launching today in support of Foxconn Technology Group’s unprecedented investment in our state.
This investment will bring thousands of jobs, a world-class manufacturing facility with a full supply chain
and a high-tech 8K-5G ecosystem to Wisconsin, making it a historic moment for our state and hardworking
families in all of our communities.We call on you to support the legislation before you to make this project a reality.
The impact Foxconn would have on Wisconsin is well documented and transformational. Foxconn itself will invest $10 billion and bring 13,000 jobs to Wisconsin as part of the single largest economic development project in the history of our state.
It will take 10,000 construction jobs to make this project a reality. And the ripple effect of this project will create an additional 22,000 indirect and induced jobs as suppliers, spinoff companies and other businesses join in the statewide economic activity.
In short, Foxconn will turn Wisconsin into the center of a new wave of high-tech manufacturing – products made in America, right here in Wisconsin. Building components to TVs, computers, cars and more will impact our entire statewide economy and revolutionize what it means to live and work in our communities with high-skill, high-paying jobs.
We have come so far to make our great state open for business and create a strong economy – a historic moment like this is not the time to turn back.
Thank you for your consideration,
Wisconn Valley Jobs Coalition
Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Foxconn.
