Franklin, Kentucky (February 2023) – Japan-based specialty chemicals manufacturer, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd. has announced plans to invest more than $104 million to expand a battery material manufacturing operation at the Henderson Interstate Industrial Park in Simpson County, Kentucky. NAI READY, a global site selection firm based in Greenville, SC, represented LioChem e-Materials on an extensive site selection and incentive negotiation search leading to the purchase of a newly constructed speculative building situated on 26 acres. Hal Johnson, SIOR, Jamie Newell, and Tak O’Haru were the consultants supporting this project.
The new company, LioChem e-Materials, LLC will employ over 140 people and produce carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions, the cathode conductive material used to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries, mainly in the emerging market of electric vehicles. The technology is derived from Toyo Ink SC Holdings’ 125+ year experience in the responsible and sustainable production of liquid and dry pigment dispersions.
Hideki Okaichi, Executive Operating Officer of Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd, stated, “Since 2021, the Toyo Ink Group has been supplying battery materials created at our manufacturing facility, LioChem, in the state of Georgia. North American demand for this essential material continues to grow rapidly. To meet projected future demand, we decided to establish LioChem e-Materials as our second battery material production based in the US. This new site is expected to raise our CNT dispersion capacity to four times the current level, while further bolstering our regional and global supply chain.”
As the automotive industry gains momentum in the conversion to electric vehicles, the top suppliers within the battery manufacturing supply chain are racing to announce their notable goals. Those committed to an electric future have been focusing on technologies that currently only exist in foreign nations, more specifically Northeast and East Asia, and are rapidly migrating to the United States to put these processes in place in support of an electric future. LioChem e-Materials is a leading producer of the key battery material used in the production of EV batteries, which makes this company a commodity in the supply chain, and their announcement in the state of Kentucky brings with it much acceleration towards the evolution of electric vehicles.
More information on the project can be found here: https://ced.ky.gov/Newsroom/NewsPage/20220126_LioChem
About NAI READY
NAI READY is the Site Location and Incentive Negotiation division of NAI Global, centrally located in Greenville, SC. Consisting of three principal consultants, Hal Johnson, Tak O’Haru, and Jamie Newell, NAI READY was formed to provide companies with the key components of their real estate needs, encompassed all under one umbrella. Built on a wealth of experience in economic development and an intimate knowledge of government incentives available to businesses of all sizes, across all industries, NAI READY works directly with clients and business partners to ensure the success of their projects by becoming an extension of their team. We approach every project by understanding the corporate culture and determining the evolving market needs that set the stage for the most profitable location.