ARCADIA, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin-based furniture manufacturer has been approved for a $6 million tax credit even though it plans to lay off half its workforce in the state.
The Wisconsin State Journal (https://bit.ly/1mFPUxq ) reports the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board quietly approved the tax credit for Ashley Furniture Industries. It will allow the company to move forward with a $35 million headquarter expansion and keep nearly 2,000 jobs in Wisconsin.
According to a staff memo, the company agreed to retain 70 percent of existing employee positions in 2014, 60 percent the following year and 50 percent between 2016 and 2018. Other documents show Ashley Furniture gave $20,000 to Gov. Scott Walker’s re-election campaign after the WEDC board voted.
Gov. Scott Walker, who chairs the WEDC board, declined to comment.
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Information from: Wisconsin State Journal, https://www.madison.com/wsj
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