Ribbon Cut on Newest EV Battery Plant in Smiths Grove
By Jack Dobbs
Thousands gathered in Smiths Grove last Friday to cut the ribbon on Warren County’s fifth and newest battery plant, one that will help further expand the county’s presence in the electric vehicle industry.
“When the EV industry first came to Warren County, it was declared this was the future; now, it’s not,” said Bowling Green-Warren County Unified Government Judge-Executive Tim Love. “This is the present. This is the here and now.”
At full capacity, the plant will be able to produce around 450,000 batteries annually. The batteries are expected to be used in EVs from the Ford Motor Company, Stellantis, General Motors and Tesla, as well as upstart drone taxi company AirGlide.
Warren County’s presence in this industry began more than 25 years ago, with the AESC battery plant, which is in the Kentucky Transpark. Battery manufacturing has risen rapidly since then, with plants popping up across the county one-by-one. Transformation in production that enables more automation and allows relatively low energy consumption has increased the region’s capacity to remain a leader in advanced manufacturing, even as other sectors have grown in prominence for South Central Kentucky.
As a result of these changes, the number of residents employed in the industry has stayed relatively flat, driven by the usage of automation tools and android robots. However, average pay for the manufacturing sector continues to rise in the region, given the advanced skills necessary to work in the sector–skills the region has a reputation for investing in heavily.
The Smiths Grove plant joins similar facilities in the Transpark, Woodburn, Rockfield and at the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant, part of which was repurposed in 2035 to produce batteries for Corvette models and other GM products.
The plant sits in the Smiths Grove Industrial Park between Amazon’s Southeast Regional Fulfillment Center and Buc-ee’s #2. Once its first phase goes live later this month, the plant will employ 100 people, a number expected to increase to 300 over the next decade.
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce President Lam Htoo said the factory represents the automotive industry’s continued “positive outlook” on the region’s manufacturing potential.
“We saw this once upon a time with Corvette; we saw this with AESC,” he told attendees. “Now, we see this across the region. We are grateful for this continued investment in South Central Kentucky.”
Broward said he and everyone at the Chamber are looking forward to the next development.
“Our future in this industry couldn’t be more electric,” he said.
New, high-paying jobs aren’t the only feature of the new facility. Broward said the factory is entering into a partnership with the Bowling Green-Warren County Unified School District to provide on-site training for students looking to enter the battery manufacturing industry.
Broward said through this, around 70 students per year are expected to qualify for this automotive-focused advanced manufacturing track and are set to receive hands-on training, moving into apprenticeship opportunities.
“This program will allow us to keep some of our most talented young people at home through well-paying, highly-skilled jobs that will help set our county and region up for future success,” he said.
Starting pay at the facility stands at $125/hour.
