Latest news with #Whitmer
6 days ago
- Business
Whitmer says 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame on semiconductor project failure in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. -- Plans to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Michigan have fallen through and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame. Bringing the company to Michigan was a key goal for Whitmer, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate who is in her final years as governor of the battleground state. Domestic manufacturing is a priority of President Donald Trump's second administration and the president has leveraged tariffs as a way to incentivize companies to build and stay in America. While Whitmer did not mention Trump by name in her remarks, she pointed the finger at his tariffs that have shaken up the economy periodically this year. 'Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs,' Whitmer said in a statement. Whitmer did not name the company but state records show California-based technology firm Sandisk Corp. was considering the sprawling 1,300-acre site near the city of Flint and forecasted 9,400 jobs and 5,000 construction jobs as a result. Sandisk declined to comment on Wednesday. The Trump administration is using tariffs and other tactics to bring manufacturing in critical areas like semiconductors back to the U.S., White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement in response to Whitmer's remarks. Desai pointed to new semiconductor development in Texas and Arizona this year as wins garnered by the Trump administration in the chips and technology industry. Other Democrats were quick to attribute the loss in Michigan to Trump's economic policies Wednesday. 'Trump's abandonment of long-term investments and chaotic tariff practices are not only raising costs, they just killed 10,000 good-paying jobs,' U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat who represents the area, said in a statement. 'This could have been a game-changer for mid-Michigan's economy.' Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, said he supports Trump's strategy of relying on tariffs and incentives in the tax and spending bill to bring manufacturing development to America, not overseas. 'We simply need state leaders who are focused on making sure Michigan is the best possible place to build and grow,' he said. Sandisk, known for making flash drives and memory cards, was looking to break ground on the project in 2025, according to documents provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Michigan offered Sandisk $1.925 billion in cash grants, $250 million in workforce development funding and about $3.76 billion in tax breaks, according to documents dated to August 2024. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act incentivizing technology development about halfway through former President Joe Biden's term. Even as Trump and Republican lawmakers have since threatened to put an end to the act, the Department of Commerce was collaborating with Sandisk on securing federal incentives through the package. Whitmer in her statement said that the company is no longer looking to build a semiconductor facility anywhere in the U.S. In a speech in May, Whitmer said she had been advocating with the Trump administration directly to help bring a chip plant to the state.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Whitmer says 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame on semiconductor project failure in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Plans to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Michigan have fallen through and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame. Bringing the company to Michigan was a key goal for Whitmer, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate who is in her final years as governor of the battleground state. Domestic manufacturing is a priority of President Donald Trump's second administration and the president has leveraged tariffs as a way to incentivize companies to build and stay in America. While Whitmer did not mention Trump by name in her remarks, she pointed the finger at his tariffs that have shaken up the economy periodically this year. 'Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs,' Whitmer said in a statement. Whitmer did not name the company but state records show California-based technology firm Sandisk Corp. was considering the sprawling 1,300-acre site near the city of Flint and forecasted 9,400 jobs and 5,000 construction jobs as a result. Sandisk declined to comment on Wednesday. The Trump administration is using tariffs and other tactics to bring manufacturing in critical areas like semiconductors back to the U.S., White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement in response to Whitmer's remarks. Desai pointed to new semiconductor development in Texas and Arizona this year as wins garnered by the Trump administration in the chips and technology industry. Other Democrats were quick to attribute the loss in Michigan to Trump's economic policies Wednesday. 'Trump's abandonment of long-term investments and chaotic tariff practices are not only raising costs, they just killed 10,000 good-paying jobs,' U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat who represents the area, said in a statement. 'This could have been a game-changer for mid-Michigan's economy.' Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, said he supports Trump's strategy of relying on tariffs and incentives in the tax and spending bill to bring manufacturing development to America, not overseas. 'We simply need state leaders who are focused on making sure Michigan is the best possible place to build and grow,' he said. Sandisk, known for making flash drives and memory cards, was looking to break ground on the project in 2025, according to documents provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Michigan offered Sandisk $1.925 billion in cash grants, $250 million in workforce development funding and about $3.76 billion in tax breaks, according to documents dated to August 2024. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act incentivizing technology development about halfway through former President Joe Biden's term. Even as Trump and Republican lawmakers have since threatened to put an end to the act, the Department of Commerce was collaborating with Sandisk on securing federal incentives through the package. Whitmer in her statement said that the company is no longer looking to build a semiconductor facility anywhere in the U.S. In a speech in May, Whitmer said she had been advocating with the Trump administration directly to help bring a chip plant to the state.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Whitmer says ‘massive economic uncertainty' is to blame on semiconductor project failure in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Plans to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Michigan have fallen through and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame. Bringing the company to Michigan was a key goal for Whitmer, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate who is in her final years as governor of the battleground state. Domestic manufacturing is a priority of President Donald Trump's second administration and the president has leveraged tariffs as a way to incentivize companies to build and stay in America. While Whitmer did not mention Trump by name in her remarks, she pointed the finger at his tariffs that have shaken up the economy periodically this year. 'Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs,' Whitmer said in a statement. Whitmer did not name the company but state records show California-based technology firm Sandisk Corp. was considering the sprawling 1,300-acre site near the city of Flint and forecasted 9,400 jobs and 5,000 construction jobs as a result. Sandisk declined to comment on Wednesday. The news quickly set off dueling political statements from Republicans and Democrats in the state. The Trump administration is using tariffs and other tactics to bring manufacturing in critical areas like semiconductors back to the U.S., White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement in response to Whitmer's remarks. Desai pointed to new semiconductor development in Texas and Arizona this year as wins garnered by the Trump administration in the chips and technology industry. Other Democrats were quick to attribute the loss in Michigan to Trump's economic policies Wednesday. 'Trump's abandonment of long-term investments and chaotic tariff practices are not only raising costs, they just killed 10,000 good-paying jobs,' U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat who represents the area, said in a statement. 'This could have been a game-changer for mid-Michigan's economy.' Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, said he supports Trump's strategy of relying on tariffs and incentives in the tax and spending bill to bring manufacturing development to America, not overseas. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We simply need state leaders who are focused on making sure Michigan is the best possible place to build and grow,' he said. Sandisk, known for making flash drives and memory cards, was looking to break ground on the project in 2025, according to documents provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Michigan offered Sandisk $1.925 billion in cash grants, $250 million in workforce development funding and about $3.76 billion in tax breaks, according to documents dated to August 2024. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act incentivizing technology development about halfway through former President Joe Biden's term. Even as Trump and Republican lawmakers have since threatened to put an end to the act, the Department of Commerce was collaborating with Sandisk on securing federal incentives through the package. Whitmer in her statement said that the company is no longer looking to build a semiconductor facility anywhere in the U.S. In a speech in May, Whitmer said she had been advocating with the Trump administration directly to help bring a chip plant to the state.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Whitmer says 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame on semiconductor project failure in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Plans to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Michigan have fallen through and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that 'massive economic uncertainty' is to blame. Bringing the company to Michigan was a key goal for Whitmer, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate who is in her final years as governor of the battleground state. Domestic manufacturing is a priority of President Donald Trump's second administration and the president has leveraged tariffs as a way to incentivize companies to build and stay in America. While Whitmer did not mention Trump by name in her remarks, she pointed the finger at his tariffs that have shaken up the economy periodically this year. 'Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs,' Whitmer said in a statement. Whitmer did not name the company but state records show California-based technology firm Sandisk Corp. was considering the sprawling 1,300-acre site near the city of Flint and forecasted 9,400 jobs and 5,000 construction jobs as a result. Sandisk declined to comment on Wednesday. The news quickly set off dueling political statements from Republicans and Democrats in the state. The Trump administration is using tariffs and other tactics to bring manufacturing in critical areas like semiconductors back to the U.S., White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement in response to Whitmer's remarks. Desai pointed to new semiconductor development in Texas and Arizona this year as wins garnered by the Trump administration in the chips and technology industry. Other Democrats were quick to attribute the loss in Michigan to Trump's economic policies Wednesday. 'Trump's abandonment of long-term investments and chaotic tariff practices are not only raising costs, they just killed 10,000 good-paying jobs,' U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat who represents the area, said in a statement. 'This could have been a game-changer for mid-Michigan's economy.' Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, said he supports Trump's strategy of relying on tariffs and incentives in the tax and spending bill to bring manufacturing development to America, not overseas. 'We simply need state leaders who are focused on making sure Michigan is the best possible place to build and grow,' he said. Sandisk, known for making flash drives and memory cards, was looking to break ground on the project in 2025, according to documents provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Michigan offered Sandisk $1.925 billion in cash grants, $250 million in workforce development funding and about $3.76 billion in tax breaks, according to documents dated to August 2024. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act incentivizing technology development about halfway through former President Joe Biden's term. Even as Trump and Republican lawmakers have since threatened to put an end to the act, the Department of Commerce was collaborating with Sandisk on securing federal incentives through the package. Whitmer in her statement said that the company is no longer looking to build a semiconductor facility anywhere in the U.S. In a speech in May, Whitmer said she had been advocating with the Trump administration directly to help bring a chip plant to the state. Isabella Volmert, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's goal to land a semiconductor factory in Michigan faces a setback
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's goal to land a semiconductor plant in Michigan before she leaves office will have to wait after a company that had its eye on a site near Flint changed course, according to the governor. Whitmer blamed the setback on national economic conditions in a July 16 statement. "Because of massive economic uncertainty at the national level, an advanced manufacturing company we were working with to bring a huge project to Michigan has decided not to move forward with plans to construct a semiconductor plant anywhere in the United States," Whitmer said. "Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs." The company was looking at Genesee County's Mundy Township for the project, according to Whitmer. The location near Flint is the state's last large available site of more than 1,000 acres and one of the last so-called megasites in the U.S., according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Sandisk had its eye on the site and agreed not to pursue other locations while working with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to come to Michigan, according to documents related to the project provided by MEDC. The company declined to comment. The MEDC has referred to effort to lure Sandisk to Mundy Township as "Project Grit" and proposed a massive subsidy package for the company that included over $1.1 billion from Michigan's Critical Industry Program, which provides state funds to select companies that create jobs in the state, according to a letter of intent between the agency and the company. The agency also proposed state and local tax abatements and additional state funding for workforce development and site readiness, among other state support. In 2024, Michigan economic development officials approved a $250 million grant to prepare the site for an advanced manufacturing project. That came on top of $9.2 million in previously approved site readiness funding for the area. The governor vowed to press forward. "We will continue to compete with other states and countries to bring cutting-edge factories home to Michigan so we can create economic prosperity for workers and communities and lead the next century of advanced manufacturing," she said. But Whitmer added that economic headwinds nationally will make that task more difficult. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, pushed back hard on Whitmer's claim that national economic conditions are to blame, describing the latest news in the quest to land a factory at Mundy Township a "failure." "President Trump's bold leadership is making it easier and more attractive than ever to create jobs in America. We simply need state leaders who are focused on making sure Michigan is the best possible place to build and grow," Hall said in a July 16 statement. Michigan Politics: Campaign crypto? U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar's investment pays off big-time ... so far State Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint, called Sandisk's decision "deeply disappointing" in a statement. "This project represented a generational opportunity to restore Genesee County's legacy as a manufacturing powerhouse and to position Mid-Michigan at the forefront of the global semiconductor industry," he said. Cherry said the company pointed to an uncertain economic climate "driven in large part by the Trump administration's chaotic tariff policies" in making its decision not to pursue a semiconductor factory. Whitmer explained why landing a semiconductor plant is a top priority for her during a May 30 keynote address at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. "Being able to make chips top to bottom in America will allow us to stay on the cutting edge of AI. Whoever dominates this technology from design to production will dominate the 21st Century," she said. She set a timeline for securing a semiconductor plant by the end of 2026. Whitmer cannot run again due to term limits, and her successor will take office Jan. 1, 2027. Whitmer said in a Feb. 23 interview that economic development plans in Mundy Township were among the items on her federal agenda as she advocates for Michigan priorities in Washington, D.C., though she wouldn't say at the time whether the project would depend on landing federal funding. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer: Goal for Michigan semiconductor plant faces setback Solve the daily Crossword
