Wisconsin was a finalist among about 40 states that competed for Intel Corp.’s $20 billion semiconductor production facility, according to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Instead, it will be built in Ohio.
The California company selected 1,000 acres in Licking County for the plant, the Milwaukee Business Journal reports.
Mount Pleasant and the Racine County Economic Development Corp. officials said they had been pursuing Intel for nearly a year. The land originally prepared for Foxconn Technology Group near Interstate 49 in Pleasant was in contention until the end, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Racine County EDC and Mount Pleasant, as well as the sate of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 7 and affiliate Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce were involved in the effort.
“We know that the qualities that led Intel to focus on Wisconsin will continue to be attractive to other investors and employers,” Racine County EDC executive director Jenny Trick told the Milwaukee Business Journal. “We will continue to pursue high-value development opportunities that will fully utilize public infrastructure investments on this site.”
According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the incident reflects the national appeal of the Interstate 94 corridor in southeast Wisconsin, which is booming with industrial activity.
“As Foxconn’s plans have evolved in recent years, we have and will continue to seek opportunities for additional investment in the village of Mount Pleasant as we know it is an ideal location for many companies,” Trick told the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Foxconn has since fallen short on its expectations for using the site. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, it was confirmed by state officials to have created 579 jobs and spent $266 million through the end of 2020.
Intel officials say they chose Ohio due to the 1,000-acre site, manufacturing workforce and colleges and universities willing to help train future employees, as well as a historic lack of earthquakes.
