Yaskawa America, a subsidiary of Japanese automation and solar equipment manufacturer Yaskawa Electric Corp, will invest $180 million to relocate its U.S. headquarters and expand operations in Wisconsin, the company announced.
The move will consolidate Yaskawa’s current facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin into a single, new complex in Franklin, Wisconsin over the next decade. The project will house both manufacturing and training operations.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has offered up to $18 million in performance-based tax credits, contingent on job creation and total capital investment. Yaskawa said it expects to generate over 700 new jobs once the new facility is operational.
“Wisconsin is continuing to strengthen our position as a leader in advanced manufacturing, and we’re glad to help support this expansion and Yaskawa’s continued success in our state,” Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said in a statement.
Yaskawa’s expansion is expected to bolster Wisconsin’s growing solar manufacturing sector, which has historically specialized in components such as inverters and transformers. Companies like Ingeteam and Eaton already maintain operations in the state, though large-scale module manufacturing remains absent.
The announcement comes amid heightened federal support for domestic solar manufacturing under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has driven U.S. solar module production capacity beyond 50 gigawatts annually. However, industry concerns have mounted over the potential rollback of clean energy incentives under proposals linked to former President Donald Trump’s policy platform.
