Foxxcon Selects Wisconsin Over North Carolina

Foxxcon, the Taiwanese manufacturer of electronics announced that it would build its first U. S. manufacturing facility in Wisconsin, bypassing North Carolina. Foxconn is a supplier for Apple, Microsoft and other technology companies.

President Donald Trump was joined by Foxconn’s chairman, Terry Gou, at the White House for the announcement. Wisconsin Republicans, Gov. Scott Walker and Paul D. Ryan, the House speaker were also in attendance.

According to Foxxcon, the planned factory will produce flat-panel display screens for televisions and other consumer electronics.   White House officials indicated the project would create at least 3,000 jobs and represent a $10 billion investment. While an exact location was not announced, the factory is expected to be built in southeastern Wisconsin.

“TV was invented in America,” Gou said at the White House conference.  “We are going to change that. It starts today in Wisconsin.”

As recently as this week North Carolina Commerce Secretary Tony Copeland believed the state was still in the running for the plant.

In addition to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan were pursuing the project. Economic development officials knowledgeable about the process indicated that Foxxcon may be looking at putting additional facilities in the U.S. Ernst & Young is advising Foxxcon in the process.