June 14, 2017 6:45p
(WGTD)---Wisconsin is purportedly one of at least two states under consideration for an electronics assembly plant that could employee 5,000 workers. And there's speculation that a site in Racine County could be on Wisconsin's short list of possibilities.
On the same day that President Trump told a Wisconsin audience that a major manufacturer might move to the state, the Racine County Board was meeting in closed session to discuss unspecified economic issues. The legal meeting notice was worded in such a way to suggest that something big was in the air.
The printed agenda said officials planned to meet privately to deliberate "the investment of public funds regarding competitive multi-site economic development opportunities." The discussion, it said, would include deliberations over "strategies associated with pursuing the same."
County Board Supervisors and other officials emerged after 20 minutes or so without letting on to what's up.
The meeting included Racine County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Jenny Trick and Mt. Pleasant Village Board President Dave DeGroot.
A bit earlier in the day, DeGroot had been among those local officials who greeted Trump as he arrived at Mitchell International Airport. Trump was here with his daughter Ivanka to promote apprenticeships at Waukesha Technical College and speak at a political fundraiser. By Trump's account, the visit also included some negotiations that took place backstage involving that unnamed manufacturer. "I think they're going to give the governor a very happy surprise very soon," he told the technical college audience.
On Wednesday, the Associated Press, citing an unnamed source, reported that at least two states, one of them Wisconsin, were negotiating with Foxconn, a huge manufacturer of cell phones and other electronic gear that's based in Taiwan.
That other state purportedly is Michigan, where Crain's Detroit Business reports that Foxconn is proposing a $4.2 billion dollar assembly plant in metropolitan Detroit that would employee 5,000 people
Several months ago, Reuters reported that the company, mindful of President Trump's 'America first" trade initiatives, revealed that it was considering investing more than $7 billion in the U.S.
Foxconn is described online as the world's largest contract electronics maker.
With more than a million employees in China alone, Foxconn is that country's largest private-sector employer, according to a 2013 MoneyWatch story.
The company has received some negative headlines over working conditions. Media reports indicated that 18 Chinese employees in 2010 attempted suicide because of those conditions.
If Foxconn would locate in Racine County, State Senator Bob Wirch says he would not be overly concerned that the company would bring with it unacceptable practices. "I think we have a highly competitive standard in southeastern Wisconsin and I think that would send a message out there that they would have to compete on that standard of wages and work (conditions)," Wirch said Wednesday.
The list of those officials withholding comment on the AP report includes a spokesman for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and at least one member of its board, State Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca.
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