Project Updates and Information

FOXCONN ANNOUNCES WORLD-CLASS

WATER RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY, REDUCING INTAKE REQUIREMENTS FROM LAKE

Last week, Foxconn Technology Group announced it will invest $30 million investment in a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system that will allow it to dramatically reduce the Mount Pleasant facility's water intake requirements and virtually eliminate the return of any manufacturing process wastewater to Lake Michigan .

"One of the reasons we chose to locate in Wisconsin is the state's pristine environment, and we take our responsibility to preserve it seriously ," said Dr. Louis Woo, Special Assistant to Foxconn Founder and CEO Terry Gou. "This system will use state-of-the-art technology to reduce the water our facility needs to operate by millions of gallons per day. We not only seek to comply with all regulations where we do business, we also work to exceed them when possible ."

Local leaders, like Racine Mayor Cory Mason, lauded Foxconn for its investment in protecting the environment.

"As the Mayor, I am charged with protecting Lake Michigan with our water and wastewater utility. I am very encouraged by Foxconn's announcement of zero liquid discharge . It will reduce the amount of Lake Michigan water Foxconn needs to withdraw, and will protect Lake Michigan from industrial discharge."

For more information about the zero liquid discharge system, and to read local leaders' responses to the announcement, click here .

I-94 NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC SHIFTED

Last weekend, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) shifted northbound traffic on I-94 at WIS 142 and reduced the number of lanes down to two. The new configuration is now in place .

This shift will allow work to get underway on the new northbound lanes of traffic between WIS 142 in Kenosha County and WIS 20 in Racine County.

The work getting underway will reconstruct 6.5 miles of freeway and all the structures within the work zone. Once all work is complete, there will be four lanes in each direction on I-94.

For additional information on the I-94 North/South project, click here .

CITY OF RACINE LAUNCHES WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM: RACINE WORKS

$1.5M program will help prepare City of Racine residents for

public, private construction job opportunities

Last week, Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Ray Allen were joined by other local and state officials to announce Racine Works, a new workforce training program to help prepare City of Racine residents for public and private sector construction job opportunities tied to the influx of development throughout the Racine community.

"Our region will see more jobs tied to public and private development coming to the area than ever before," said Racine Mayor Cory Mason. "It is our responsibility, and my personal commitment, to do everything we can to make sure Racine residents are well-positioned to get those jobs ."

The program is funded by $500K allocated by the City of Racine, a $100K grant from the Gateway Foundation, and a $400K Wisconsin Fast Forward grant from DWD. Additionally, UMOS has committed to $500K in wage subsidies to Racine Works through its transitional jobs program.

Read more about the program in the Racine Journal Times .

VILLAGE OF MOUNT PLEASANT PLANNING COMMISSION OK'S FIRST FOXCONN BUILDING

The Village of Mount Pleasant Planning Commission voted Wednesday to approve Foxconn's plans for the first building on the project site .

The 96,000-square-foot structure, which will be located off of Highway KR near Highway H, will provide office space for contractors building Foxconn's $10 billion dollar advanced manufacturing campus .

"Instead of seeing 1,000 job trailers out there, you will see just this one building," said Claude Lois, Project Director for the Village of Mount Pleasant. "That is the main purpose right now."

An archived video of the Planning Commission meeting is available here . Read more about this building in the Milwaukee Business Journal .

FOXCONN CLOSES ON DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE OFFICE BUILDING

Foxconn Technology Group recently took possession of a seven-story office building in downtown Milwaukee. The building, located at 611 E. Wisconsin Avenue, will become the company's North American headquarters , and will support jobs for more than 500 employees.

The company plans to remodel the building and develop space for an "innovation center" that will allow startups and entrepreneurs to develop applications for the advanced display technology Foxconn will produce in the Village of Mount Pleasant.

Learn more about Foxconn's headquarters in downtown Milwaukee in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .

FOXCONN TO HIRE VETERANS

Last week, Foxconn shared that it has big plans for hiring Wisconsin veterans.

Foxconn's first two Wisconsin employees were veterans, and hiring veterans has been part of the company's plan since announcing it would locate in Wisconsin.

"I think there is no better management school than the military," said Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn chairman Terry Gou.

Foxconn recently hired two additional veterans to build the core of a recruitment team. By the time the company is finished filling its ranks, it hopes to count as many as 3,000 veterans as employees in the state .

"The military is being part of something larger than yourself, being part of a larger mission," said Capt. Chris 'Tank' Murdoch, former Navy pilot and Foxconn's first employee in Wisconsin. "Actually trying to be part of something bigger than me, a larger mission, trying to build something here in Wisconsin... that was very attractive to me."