Foxconn has awarded contracts to start work on its manufacturing plant in Racine County.
In the center of Wisconn Valley, hundreds of construction machines are lined up and fields are marked by cones. Crews are ready to transform open land into one of Wisconsin's biggest manufacturing hubs.
"This is another major milestone here on the Foxconn site in Area 1," said Adam Jelen with Gilbane Building Company, Foxconn's general contractor.
Jelen said this milestone comes with the announcement of $34 million in contracts awarded to five Wisconsin companies. Those companies will soon start utility and road work for Foxconn's Gen6 manufacturing plant that will build small display screens. The manufacturing factory is expected to sprawl more than a million square feet and employ 1,500 people.
"We're actually standing on the building pad for the advanced display technology facilities," Jelen said.
It's a step forward for Foxconn manufacturing that not too long ago was up in the air. Back in late January, reports surfaced that Foxconn was reconsidering manufacturing in Wisconsin due to the cost.
Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave says these plans show Foxconn's commitment.
"It's validation to the economic development that we worked so hard to get the last couple years," Delagrave said.
Now that manufacturing is back in Foxconn's plans, it will be smaller and less expensive than the company told the state when both parties cut a deal.
While Foxconn says it's still planning to create 13,000 jobs, the company has backed off from committing to a $10 billion plant as it once said.
"I believe it's going to be a significant investment and the more investment the better," Delagrave said.
Foxconn plans to start the bidding process for construction of the manufacturing plant in May.
