An electric vehicle battery manufacturer is making progress towards opening a site in Lansing.
Ultium Cells held a recruiting event Wednesday at the Lansing Community College West Campus as it looks to hire 1,700 positions. The facility is expected to produce batteries for General Motors.
Plant director Grace Griffin said the company chose mid-Michigan because of the region’s history with the automotive industry.
“Lansing has a strong base of manufacturing here, and so we knew that this would be a great city to partner with,” Griffin said.
Ultium Cells is spending $2.6 billion dollars on the battery plant and is receiving state subsidies for the project. The facility is part of a $7 billion investment GM is making to manufacture EVs in Michigan.
The Michigan Strategic Fund approved $824 million in subsidies for the projects.
Kate Snyder is with the employment development group Capital Area Michigan Works. She said the facility will generate further growth in the region.
“This is a chance for us to not only really make sure we're utilizing our manufacturing workforce base to the best of their abilities, but also to bring in people from other regions and other states and grow the overall size of our workforce.”
The Ultium plant in Lansing is expected to be fully operational by the end of next year. The facility is hiring production managers, engineers and information technology personnel. According to job postings on the state's workforce development website, some plant supervisors are expected to make $68,000 to $80,000.
"This is that future of manufacturing," Snyder added. "It's a focus on sustainability, it's a focus on minimizing and mitigating any form of environmental impacts both through the manufacturing process and in the products they're creating."
