Foxconn denies Wall Street Journal report

Contract allows company to earn tax credits

Foxconn denies a report that it might bring workers from China to its Wisconsin operations.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Foxconn “is considering bringing in personnel from China” to help staff its Wisconsin manufacturing operations — a report Foxconn quickly denied.

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the newspaper said Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou “is looking to company engineers in China to transfer” to Wisconsin. Gou is upset that few have volunteered to move if called upon, the newspaper said.

“We can categorically state that the assertion that we are recruiting Chinese personnel to staff our Wisconsin project is untrue,” Foxconn said in a statement.

“Our recruitment priority remains Wisconsin first and we continue to focus on hiring and training workers from throughout Wisconsin. We will supplement that recruitment from other US locations as required.”

The Wall Street Journal report came on an election day that will decide a tight race between Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Tony Evers, the state superintendent of schools.

Foxconn and the billions in public money it stands to receive have been issues in the contest.

Walker vigorously pursued Foxconn as Wisconsin competed with other states to land the Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer and its stated plans to build a multi-billion-dollar, liquid crystal display factory in the U.S.