Indiana Gov. Holcomb, U.S. Rep. Bucshon and other officials joined ENTEK and Clayco to break ground on the 1.4-million-square foot facility that will boost the U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing sector and create hundreds of family-supporting jobs.
Terre Haute, IN (September 6, 2023) – Oregon-based ENTEK, the only US-owned and operated manufacturer of wet-process lithium-ion battery separators, broke ground on a $1.5 billion separator plant in Terre Haute, Indiana today. This plant will produce lithium-ion battery components for the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry and represents ENTEK’s single largest investment to date. ENTEK selected Clayco to design and construct the new facility that will generate more than 640 high-wage jobs by the end of 2027. The plant is set to produce up to 1.4 billion square meters of battery separators per year, enough to supply material for approximately 1.4 million vehicles, annually.
Today’s groundbreaking ceremony included federal, state, and local officials as well as key private stakeholders who were essential in bringing this project to Terre Haute. Larry Keith, CEO of ENTEK and Kimberly Medford, President of ENTEK Manufacturing were joined by Governor Eric Holcomb, Congressman Larry Bucshon, State Senator John Ford, Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer, representatives from Senator Young and Senator Braun’s offices, Steve Witt, President of Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation, Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College, Stan Pinegar, President of Duke Energy Indiana, and Anthony Johnson, President of Clayco’s Industrial Business Unit.
“This is a great day for Terre Haute and for the state of Indiana,” said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “ENTEK’s decision to locate a new, $1.5 billion battery component manufacturing facility here will have a transformational impact on the West Central Indiana community and the Hoosier economy for generations to come. This decision cements Indiana’s leadership in the electric vehicle supply chain sector, and we are thrilled to partner with ENTEK to speed the commercialization of U.S.-built EVs.”“ENTEK’s $1.5 billion investment is a massive win for Terre Haute, Vigo County, and West Central Indiana, creating hundreds of jobs and adding to the positive direction of the local economy,” said Dr. Bucshon. “The partnership with ENTEK will ensure that Indiana remains at the forefront of the U.S. manufacturing sector and create momentum toward even more successes in the Indiana automotive industry and the growing EV field.”
“We’re delighted to expand ENTEK in Indiana and are thankful and impressed with the partnership and support we’ve gotten from local, state and federal officials who have helped make this happen. Beating China on advanced battery development and production starts right here in Terre Haute, today. This groundbreaking is an exciting step for ENTEK as we continue to expand our operations,” said Keith. “While we are a global company, our home is the United States, and we appreciate the support we’ve gotten from President Biden and his administration as we bring together private and public sector support to meet the global challenge of developing a secure and reliable domestic battery supply chain. I cannot wait for this facility to become fully operational and make transformational impacts on ENTEK, Terre Haute, and the U.S. electric vehicle market.”
“Today marks a significant milestone not just for Clayco and ENTEK, but for the United States’ future as a major electric vehicle manufacturer,” said Johnson. “The impact that ENTEK’s revolutionary facility will have on the local and national economy cannot be overstated, not to mention its contribution to strengthening the U.S. manufacturing sector and helping our nation meet urgent climate goals.”
Many factors contributed to ENTEK choosing to locate this giga-scale expansion in Terre Haute. From the outset, ENTEK felt supported by the federal, state, and local officials. Department of Energy funding opportunities are crucial to this expansion effort as the Administration and Congress invest in expanding domestic electric vehicle production capacity, as well as investments from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and economic incentives from Vigo County. Terre Haute was immediately attractive with a readied workforce fueled by the expansive educational opportunities in the area, an abundance of renewable energy provided by Duke Energy, and private sector partners all working hand-in-hand to advance industry in the region.
Clayco, a full-service, turnkey real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm, is serving as the design-build contractor for ENTEK’s Terre Haute facility and is providing services including design, engineering, procurement, construction, and self-perform concrete. The construction is project to expected to support up to 600 jobs.
With extensive experience in delivering projects touching on every step of the electric vehicle supply chain — including battery and component mineral plants, lithium-ion battery cell production plants, and vehicle manufacturing and assembly plants — Clayco is equipped to complete ENTEK’s new facility at the highest possible standards. Other electric vehicle companies for which Clayco has completed projects include SK On and Group14, which this year announced Clayco as the design-build firm for the world’s largest factory for advanced silicon battery material production.
About Clayco
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely and sustainably delivers the highest quality solutions to clients across North America on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $5.2 billion in revenue for 2022, Clayco specializes in the “art and science of building,” providing fast track, efficient solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional and residential-related building projects. For more information, visit www.claycorp.com.
About ENTEK
ENTEK has over 35 years of experience producing battery separators for batteries to support electric, advanced start-stop and standard vehicles, trucks, emergency vehicles, emergency backup power, utility scale energy storage, and industrial batteries. ENTEK has more than two decades of experience as the only US owned and US based producer of ‘wet-process’ separator for lithium batteries and continues to invest in the future of the domestic lithium battery industry. ENTEK is also a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer of extruders and material handling equipment for the production of battery separators and many other non-ENTEK applications.