GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Despite a shift from manufacturing to a more research and development focus for its Mount Pleasant facility, Green Bay Economic Development Director Kevin Vonck tells FOX 11 they aren’t expecting Foxconn to change its plans for its downtown innovation center.
“We enjoy the manufacturing jobs, but also for us to position ourselves as somewhere that looks at research and innovation, these are the types of jobs we’d really love to see in our community, especially downtown.”
When Foxconn announced it was buying Green Bay’s WaterMark building last June, it said about 200 people would work there, developing applications for the display screens Foxconn makes.
Vonck says he expects to see building plans in the next couple weeks, with Foxconn starting construction in the spring.
“I don’t think they have quite an intensive buildout. I mean there’s not a lot of specialty work that needs to be done, so hopefully, it can be a pretty quick timeline and they can be occupied likely by this summer or this fall.”
In December 2017, FOX 11 reported New North had 400 companies on its supply chain marketplace looking to potentially work with Foxconn.
Progress Lakeshore Executive Director Peter Wills says a shift away from manufacturing could change who might make a match for Foxconn.
“I think innovation is critical in the research, as well as what they’ve invested in Green Bay and Eau Claire, but it would certainly strike a blow I guess if we don’t have as much on the manufacturing plant.”
Wills says while companies have expressed interest in pairing with Foxconn, he hasn’t heard of any companies in this area directly relying on it.
