Foxconn secures regulatory nod for $569M AI project in Wisconsin

Foxconn, Taiwan’s contract manufacturer for various electronics, has received regulatory approval for the additional $569 million AI investment in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) approved the expansion plan at Foxconn’s Racine County facility to satisfy increasing demand for AI servers.

Foxconn stated that the expansion will mainly focus on AI servers, which the company emphasizes will help reinforce domestic U.S. supply chains. Jerry Hsiao, Foxconn’s chief product manager, said his company will continue to respond to its customers as long as demand for more data infrastructure remains high. 

Hsiao also boasted that his company aims to create 1,374 new jobs by 2030. He pointed out that the Wisconsin project accounts for nearly 25% of Foxconn’s U.S. workforce, asserting that the new AI investment will likely more than double the company’s presence in the state over the next four to five years. WEDC also stated that the company’s expansion by 2030 will increase its Mount Pleasant manufacturing footprint, including the creation of new employment for office and factory workers.   

WEDC offers up to $16M in tax credits  

WEDC’s Board of Directors approved up to $16 million in tax credits to support Foxconn’s expansion. The agency stated that under the latest revision to Foxconn’s contract with the state of Wisconsin, the company could earn state tax credits of up to $96 million through 2029. 

WEDC’s Deputy Secretary Sam Rikkers said the agency is committed to ensuring Foxconn’s growth and success in Wisconsin. He also emphasized that the new approval mirrors the company’s ranking as one of the global manufacturers that has chosen Wisconsin as its base of operations. 

Meanwhile, WEDC stated that the company had invested over $700 million in Mount Pleasant operations and created over 1,200 jobs by the end of 2024. However, that was a tiny fraction of the 13,000 workers the company had previously promised to hire, the agency noted. 

As a result, Foxconn’s deal with the state was slashed from a $4 billion contract to an $80 million contract when it became apparent that the company would never achieve its initial plans. The company stated at the time that it intended to invest $10 billion in the Wisconsin site to manufacture large, flat display screens. However, Microsoft is currently developing much of the site that Foxconn initially bought as a data center. 

DeGroot says village welcomes Foxconn’s 21st-century expansion

President of Mount Pleasant Village Dave DeGroot stated in a press release that the village is excited to work with the company, as it plans to create additional employment opportunities and expand its 21st-century manufacturing operations. However, he could not comment on the details of the company’s plan. 

Meanwhile, WEDC revealed that Foxconn plans to create a total of 2,600 jobs and add up to $1.2 billion in capital investment in the next three years (by the end of 2029). On the other hand, the company claimed that it has incurred over $2 billion in taxes, payroll, and capital expenditures (CapEx) in Wisconsin since it began operations in the state.

However, a Wisconsin resident raised concerns about Foxconn’s seemingly fake promises over the past few years. Apparently, the company uses the illusion of an investment to curry favor with politicians, with President Donald Trump being targeted more than any other. The resident complained that the company has never in its history in the state even come close to delivering on any of its promises made with arms slung around a politician or two.

The resident also pointed fingers at GOP officials for covering this illusion at different levels of government. They accused anyone from Mount Pleasant to the National Assembly and the White House of trying to scuttle the project for selfish ends. 

President Trump himself has been at the forefront of supporting Foxconn’s U.S. investments. He previously claimed that the company had built one of the most incredible plants he had ever seen and that it would keep its promises and more. Trump touted that Foxconn will enter the U.S. with money like no other company has come with before. 

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