Foxconn Technology Group said it will proceed with plans to build a factory in Wisconsin after U.S. President Donald Trump and company Chairman Terry Gou discussed the matter following reports the company was reconsidering the project.
That’s a turnabout from its stance earlier in the week, when the electronics manufacturer said it was reconsidering the plans. Foxconn said Wednesday that it was deliberating whether it would be economically feasible to develop liquid-crystal displays at the location.
“After productive discussions, between the White House and the company,” and a personal conversation between the two men, “Foxconn is moving forward with our planned construction of a Gen 6 fab facility, which will be at the heart of the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park," the Taiwanese company said Friday.
Foxconn’s flip-flopping is the latest example of an evolving vision for spending $10 billion to expand in the Midwestern U.S. state since Gou and Trump unveiled the project to much fanfare in 2017. The Taiwanese company had secured billions of dollars in potential incentives from the state in exchange for meeting capital investment and hiring targets, but the deal has grown increasingly controversial, with critics, including Wisconsin’s new governor, Tony Evers, describing it as a corporate giveaway.
Trump hailed the move in a tweet on Friday: “Great news on Foxconn in Wisconsin after my conversation with Terry Gou!”
By Tom Giles
