By Jim Newell

Review Editor

Governor Gretchen Whitmer toured American Battery Solutions’ Lake Orion Innovation Center on Monday, seeing firsthand the new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility.

American Battery Solutions (ABS) is tripling the size of its facility, expanding from 40,000 square feet to 115,000 square feet.

The innovation center will create more than 100 good-paying jobs and double the company’s workforce in Michigan by 2023, according to Gov. Whitmer’s office.

The innovation center is dedicated to advancing battery technology and “is a key pillar in ABS’ strategy to innovate world-class battery solutions capable of meeting the evolving demands” of the market, ABS stated.

“I’m proud that American Battery Solutions is growing in Michigan, and I am laser-focused on collaborating with them and so many other innovators to continue creating thousands of good-paying jobs and building up industries of the future,” said Whitmer.

ABS has added engineering, test and research jobs to support both internal product development and custom battery pack contract awards. These additions bring the ABS headcount in Michigan and Ohio to 155 employees.

“We are delighted to be in Michigan and expanding our operations in the state and see Lake Orion as an ideal location for new capacity to attract the talent we need,” said Chairman and CEO Subhash Dhar. “We are most attracted to Michigan’s open business climate, its education system, a long heritage of innovation and excellence, as well as its deep pool of talent and resources in power/battery engineering and complementary disciplines. We see ourselves in strategic partnership with government and business leaders looking to grow and strengthen Michigan’s economic base.”

ABS will invest more than $7 million in their Lake Orion facility in the coming years, creating engineering, manufacturing and administrative jobs. This facility will double the company’s statewide workforce by 2023.

ABS will build lithium-ion battery packs in Lake Orion, delivering solutions for their global customers on the cutting edge of mobility and electrification. ABS recently launched the ALLIANCE Intelligent Battery Series product line.

The company has experienced exponential growth, going from $270,000 in revenue in 2019 to a projected $45 million next year and more than $600 million projected by 2026.

Expansion in the facility is also being driven by several recent customer awards for high-voltage battery packs and solutions for light commercial delivery and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

“We’ve already made several announcements and investments in the mobility and EV space to complement the work underway in the private sector at the state-level, and I look forward to many more,” Whitmer said. “Together, we can write the next era of Michigan’s story—from being the place that put the world on wheels, the arsenal of democracy, the state that built the middle class, the leader in mobility and electrification, to whatever may come next—I am grateful to have partners like ABS as we work together to shape tomorrow.”

For more information on American Battery Solutions, Inc., visit www.americanbatterysolutions.com.