Clean Power Surge: Missouri a New Gateway in the Electric Vehicle Battery Market 

A new manufacturing plant is cropping up in America’s Heartland. St. Louis, Missouri, will soon be a manufacturer of cathode active material, an essential component in batteries that power electric vehicles. This new facility not only creates 150 high-paying union and professional jobs, but will support an industry committed to adding more clean zero-emissions vehicles onto our roadways.  

 This new plant is being made possible thanks to a unique partnership formed by federal and state officials with Aleees, a Taiwanese battery materials company, and ICL Group, an Israeli global specialty minerals corporation. It’s an electrifying combination, with Aleees’ expertise in lithium iron phosphate batteries, ICL Group’s familiarity with the U.S. EV supply chain, and Missouri’s competitive business environment and committed workforce. The $400 million plant broke ground in August 2023 and its construction will create 800-900 union construction jobs.  

 The partnership sprouted from networking events hosted by ITA’s SelectUSA program, which convenes global companies together with state and local economic development organizations at regional and national conferences. The 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit will be held June 23-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Last year’s Investment Summit drew 5,000 attendees from more than 83 nations and representatives from all U.S. states and territories—register now to secure your spot!

 If you are an economic development organization looking to attract foreign direct investment in your community, SelectUSA offers many national and regional events to connect groups. See the schedule.