Foxconn is seeking bids for the first phase of work on its U.S.-based fabrication plant, set to be built in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. According to the Daily Reporter, company officials put out Bid Release 4A for the project, which calls for materials testing, excavation, foundation work, and elevator work. Contractors have until 10 a.m. on May 3 to submit bids.
Previous bids issued for the project have called for site development, the construction of a multipurpose building, an electrical substation, and work related to utilities and roadways.
Foxconn once promised to spend as much as $10 billion on a factory that would employ 13,000 people, but these plans have since been scaled back.
The Verge reports that there have been very few signs of progress on the site since the deal was made nine months ago. After political tensions between the U.S. and China, plans for the plant remain even more unclear. In a trip to Wisconsin last month, The Verge also reported that those currently working on the project don’t have contracts, and have not been paid.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Gov. Tony Evers will be working with Foxconnn and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to “figure out how a new set of parameters should be negotiated.”
“The present contract deals with a situation that no longer exists, so it’s our goal to make sure the taxpayers are protected and environmental standards are protected,” Evers told Wisconsin State Journal. “We believe that we need to take a look at that contract and see if it needs to be downsized as a result.”
Bob O'Brien, co-founder and president of Display Supply Chain Consultants, told the Journal that Evers may want to revise the Foxconn contract to get the company to help cover costs for the site. He said Foxconn may also have an interest in revising the contract because it contains minimum job creation thresholds. If not met, this could make the company ineligible for state tax credits if not met.
Source: The Daily Reporter, The Verge, Washington State Journal
