Evers Administration supports HPE expansion with an additional up to $5.1 million in performance-based tax credits, builds on efforts to bolster Wisconsin’s 21st-century workforce and economy
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), announced today that HPE plans to invest $75 million over the next five years to expand its operations in Chippewa Falls, creating 75 new high-skill jobs in the area and supporting growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing solutions. HPE currently employs nearly 500 Wisconsinites at its Chippewa Falls location. To support the project, WEDC is authorizing up to $5.1 million in performance-based Enterprise Zone (EZ) tax credits, building on an $8 million EZ agreement with HPE previously announced by Gov. Evers in 2021.
“For the past seven-plus years, my administration and I have been working to boost homegrown talent and strengthen opportunities for Wisconsin’s world-class workforce, especially as technology continues to evolve and create new avenues to bolster our growing 21st-century economy,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m glad that through WEDC and our partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, we’re ensuring Wisconsin continues to advance its position as a hub for advanced technology and innovation, while bringing in new, family-supporting jobs in Chippewa Falls.”
With HPE’s planned $75 million investment, supported by performance-based EZ tax credits from the state, the company will expand its testing, warehousing, and manufacturing capabilities in Chippewa Falls, enhancing capacity and supporting future growth. The expansion further reinforces HPE’s longstanding commitment to Wisconsin and the Chippewa Valley while supporting the company’s ability to meet growing global demand for AI and high-performance computing technologies.
“Demand for AI and high-performance computing is growing rapidly around the world, and Chippewa Falls plays an important role in helping HPE deliver the technologies our customers rely on every day,” said HPE Executive Vice President and General Manager of Operations Mark Bakker. “We’re proud to continue investing in Wisconsin, building on our longstanding presence in the state, creating new opportunities, and strengthening our ability to support customers as they pursue innovation and growth.”
HPE is a global leader in enterprise technology, bringing together the power of AI, cloud, and networking to drive business outcomes. The company established its Chippewa Falls location after purchasing the facility from Cray Inc. in 2019. In 2021, Gov. Evers and WEDC announced an $8 million EZ tax credit agreement, and under that agreement, HPE exceeded its commitments by investing more than $25.9 million in Wisconsin, creating 120 new jobs, and retaining 486 positions. Based on the company’s performance and continued growth plans, the WEDC Board of Directors approved an amendment to the original 2021 contract in July 2026, increasing the total available credits to $13.1 million and extending the contract by five years.
“HPE is a true success story with deep Wisconsin roots,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO John Miller. “WEDC has been instrumental in supporting HPE’s growth in Wisconsin, and we are excited to join with them as they open this new chapter.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON THE EVERS ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO BUILD A 21ST-CENTURY WORKFORCE TO SUPPORT A 21ST-CENTURY ECONOMY
Earlier this week, Gov. Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, kicked off Manufacturing Month by announcing $6.6 million in grants to 82 employers to train 3,823 Wisconsin workers through the Wisconsin Training for Resilient Advanced Industry Needs (WisTRAIN) employer grant program. As announced during Gov. Evers’ 2026 State of the State address, the new WisTRAIN program is supported by federal funding secured by the Evers Administration to help deliver employer-driven, occupational skills training focused on advanced manufacturing and AI.
The governor’s efforts to uplift Wisconsin’s workforce have been a longstanding priority for the Evers Administration, as Gov. Evers declared 2024 the Year of the Worker in Wisconsin to highlight the need to address the state’s generational workforce challenges and to help build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of a 21st-century economy. This included creating the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence and the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce, launching the state’s first teacher apprenticeship pilot program, establishing the Office of Employee Engagement and Retention for the state of Wisconsin workforce, and more.
Gov. Evers’ efforts to bolster Wisconsin’s workforce have extended well beyond 2024 the Year of the Worker. In fact, in 2021, Gov. Evers launched the state’s Workforce Solutions Initiative, which works to connect unemployed or underemployed workers with new opportunities while also incentivizing innovative solutions to regional workforce challenges. Included in Gov. Evers’ Workforce Solutions Initiative were three innovative programs: the Workforce Innovation Grant Program, the Workforce Advancement Initiative, and the Worker Connection Program. To date, programs included in the governor’s Workforce Solutions Initiative have collectively served over 130,000 Wisconsinites across the state.
Additionally, this April, Gov. Evers kicked off “National Apprenticeship Week ” in Wisconsin by celebrating that, for the fifth year in a row, Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program for high school students saw record-high enrollment. During the 2025-26 school year, a record 12,141 students enrolled in the program, a seven percent increase from the prior year. This is on top of four consecutive years of record-high enrollment in the state’s Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Gov. Evers has also emphasized that Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to tap into the potential of AI and advanced manufacturing sectors, both of which offer opportunities to advance job equity and economic opportunity in communities across the state. Prior to creating the WisTRAIN program to help deliver employer-driven, occupational skills training focused on advanced manufacturing and AI, in 2023, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #211 , creating the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence, which he tasked with studying how AI will transform business, education, and other key sectors of the state economy.
Over the course of a year, the task force worked to devise an action plan , which offers guiding principles to promote ethical decision-making related to AI and the workforce, advance equitable access to AI technology and training, and ensure that workers are represented in AI investments to strengthen the state’s economy. With a focus on policies related to education, government, workforce development, and economic development, the policy proposals reflect the need to:
- Expand digital literacy;
- Develop more flexible training and credentialing;
- Continue efforts to remove employment barriers and connect underutilized talent pools with AI skills;
- Improve government service delivery through strategic deployment of AI tools; and
- Incent industry adoption of AI tools to enhance competitiveness and create high-quality jobs.
Read more about Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration’s efforts to bolster Wisconsin’s 21st-century workforce to support a 21st-century economy.
The original version of this release is available here .
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