Uline Pauses Wisconsin Distribution Facility Construction Due to Economic Uncertainty

Uline, owned by billionaire Trump supporters Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, has paused construction of a new distribution facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin, due to economic uncertainty. The company recently requested and received a 12-month extension for the conditional use permit from Kenosha’s city planning commission, citing current economic conditions and available space in its existing network. Brad Folkert, Uline’s director of construction, stated, “I don’t think it’s any secret there’s unsettlement in the economy right now... We kind of need an extension here in order to just push this back a little bit.” The facility, over 1 million square feet, was planned for a site in Kenosha. Richard Uihlein donated nearly $80 million to a pro-Trump political action committee in 2024. In October 2024, Uline polled its employees on their voting intentions ahead of the presidential election, which an employee described as not anonymous, contrary to Elizabeth Uihlein’s claim that the survey was “for fun” and anonymous. In January 2026, an employee resigned in protest over the Uihleins’ support for Trump and Republicans. Elizabeth Uihlein responded to The Guardian, saying, “This is stupid! The survey was for fun after enduring two years of this presidential election. The results were anonymous and participation was voluntary. This is completely benign.” The construction pause comes in a politically significant location; Wisconsin is a key battleground state where Trump won in 2016 and 2024 but lost to Biden in 2020.