WEDC: Milwaukee-area companies invited to informational session on how to bid for work during Foxconn construction

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Meeting in downtown Milwaukee Thursday to provide updates on opportunities available to construction-related business

MADISON, WI. April 16, 2018 – Construction-related companies in the Milwaukee area that want to learn more about becoming a vendor, subcontractor, supplier or professional service provider during the construction phase of the Foxconn project are invited to attend an informational session Thursday, April 19, in downtown Milwaukee.

Hosted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), The Milwaukee 7 and M+W|Gilbane, the professional construction manager on the project, the meeting will take place at the We Energies offices at 231 W. Michigan St. Registration begins at 3 p.m. and the informational session will run from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

The meeting is designed to assist construction-related companies in understanding the nature of the project and the procurement process for work related to construction of Foxconn’s $10 billion advanced manufacturing campus in Racine County.

For more information, and to register, visit wisconnvalley.wi.gov.

At the meeting, construction-related businesses will receive information regarding the process for submitting bid proposals, standard terms and conditions related to the project, basic construction information, and a preliminary construction schedule for Phase One of the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park. Representatives from WEDC and M+W|Gilbane will be on hand to answer questions about the Foxconn project and the opportunities available to Wisconsin companies. The meeting is free but advance registration is required.

“Because of its proximity to Milwaukee, this transformational project will have a significant economic impact on the region,” said Mark R. Hogan, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “I encourage businesses in southeastern Wisconsin to attend this meeting and learn more about the many opportunities that will exist during the construction phase.”

“Foxconn is a generational win for our region, and the economic impact of the company’s investment will reach every corner of southeastern Wisconsin,” said Jim Paetsch, vice president of corporate expansion and attraction for the Milwaukee 7. “Construction of Foxconn’s campus in Mount Pleasant will present construction companies, subcontractors and suppliers with an opportunity to participate and benefit from this unprecedented investment. We look forward to hosting these events.” 

To ensure a fair and open process, construction-related companies seeking to bid on work related to the construction phase are asked to complete the following steps to be considered for such opportunities:

• Register with M+W|Gilbane to receive automatic bid alerts and notifications on upcoming pre-bid and matchmaking sessions. A link to the registration website can be found on the Wisconn Valley Science & Technology Park website at wisconnvalley.wi.govRegistration is required to bid on construction work.

• Attend one of the 13 informational sessions being held throughout the state. Companies also are urged to sign up for the Wisconn Valley News e-newsletter to get the latest information on project status, road updates and more. Sign up at wisconnvalley.wi.gov/newsletter.

• Attend a pre-bid/matchmaking session that will outline a clear and detailed process with good faith efforts to place “Wisconsin First” while building significant capacity in both workforce and businesses. Companies that register with M+W|Gilbane will receive notifications on upcoming pre-bid/matchmaking sessions.

The Milwaukee informational meeting is one of 13 being held in April as construction is about to get underway for the campus that will be at least 1,000 acres, and is the third one in southeastern Wisconsin. The first session was held in Sturtevant on April 3 and a session set for Thursday in Pewaukee is at capacity.

Information sessions kicked-off on April 3 in Sturtevant, where M+W | Gilbane discussed the procurement, or bidding, process for subcontractors, vendors, suppliers and professional services firms. The company said it will follow a clear and detailed process with good faith efforts to place “Wisconsin First” while building significant capacity in both workforce and businesses. 

The project will create about 10,000 direct construction jobs and 6,000 indirect jobs annually during construction. Nearly 1,000 people have attended the first seven informational sessions.

Additional sessions will be held this week in Wausau, Eau Claire, Black River Falls and La Crosse.

The advanced manufacturing campus will also serve as a science and technology park to promote research and development in advanced technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, the Internet of Things and robotics.

Work on the project is expected to begin in 60 days and will include site work, material procurement and temporary logistics preparation.