BATTLE CREEK – A Japanese company will generate more than 50 direct factory jobs in the Battle Creek area under a stimulus bill battery grant wrapped up Tuesday.
Toda America Inc. will invest about $70 million in the plant, which is planned for startup operations in February 2011 and full production by 2013. It will make cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries , some 4,000 tons of finished product per year and $130 million a year in revenue at full plant capacity.
The project is expected to add 50 to 60 direct new jobs, and more than 90 indirect jobs, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. predicted.
Toda received $35 million toward the plant from the United States Department of Energy’s Recovery Act Electric Device Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative.
“This is a critical step for Toda Kogyo Group in our quest to maintain our global leadership as the premier supply chain partner to both battery and electric vehicle manufacturers around the world,” said Junichi Nakano, president and CEO of Toda America.
In parallel with the award contract with DOE, Toda America has been working with the state of Michigan and the city of Battle Creek to finalize various agreements and financial incentives for the manufacturing plant, based on the planned job creation and capital investment. Details on these incentives were not released.
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