Illinois looks on as its neighbor attracts largest foreign jobs investment in nation’s history
ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
Taiwanese tech company Foxxconn, known for producing displays for Apple devices, announced Wednesday that it would be entering into an agreement to invest $10 billion in a massive new facility in Southeast Wisconsin, creating an estimated 13,000 new jobs.
Illinois was one of the states reportedly considered but passed over.
“This is great news for Wisconsin and Illinois lawmakers should take notice,” said Laurel Patrick, spokeswoman for Governor Bruce Rauner. “Illinois can’t continue on the path of ‘business as usual.’ It’s not working for our job creators, for our taxpayers or for our kids. We need to compete economically. We need fewer regulations, lower worker’s compensation costs and lower property taxes.”
Foxconn chairman Terry Gou spoke at the White House with President Donald Trump and others from Wisconsin. Republican Governor Scott Walker said the new jobs will not be low-paying work.
“These 13,000 jobs have an average annual salary of over $53,000 plus benefits,” Walker said at the White House event.
“This is a complete game-changer,” said U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Janesville). His district is the proposed landing site for the new facility. “It means more jobs, more security, more prosperity for families.”
Illinois State Rep. Alan Skillicorn (R-Crystal Lake) blames the state’s business-hostile environment.
“It’s very expensive to do business in Illinois,” he said. “We have great talent here in Illinois but we can’t get jobs because of our policies.”
Wisconsin didn’t lure the company in on reputation alone. They’re giving Foxxconn $3 billion in incentives over the next 15 years. The company has also shown intention to expand in the past, only to pull back from the agreement.
