Work on the $200 million battery plant has started
In an article posted on May 16 last year I mentioned the reasons why the greater Jacksonville area is slated to become a major economic engine for the region, especially where it concerns international companies settling in the area. The fact that Saft, a Paris France Headquartered manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries and other future energy solutions, has not only started the construction of its planned 235,000 square foot plant in Jacksonville last week, but is also moving its North American Headquarters to the Cecil Commerce Center, should be proof that Northeast Florida is gaining visibility and attraction in the world.
Saft, with 6 manufacturing locations in the US, produces lithium-ion batteries for industrial use and the military. In this particular case, company management chose for Jacksonville because of a total of $115.7 million in grants for the construction of the plant AND the fact that the labor market in the area is considered highly technically advanced.
An interesting side note was US Saft president Thomas Alcide’s remark that Jacksonville’s lifestyle and amenities are considered assets for attracting talented engineers and others with advanced training for the work Saft does. Alcide himself moved to Jacksonville in January of this year and already operates out of the Cecil Commerce Center.
“It’s very important to be able to recruit highly technical people to places where they want to live,” he said.
And moving headquarters here from Valdosta, Georgia was a natural progression, since the plant under construction is the centerpiece of the company’s work in the United States. The $200 million plant is reportedly going to be the most advanced manufacturing facility of its kind, with production start slated for July.
The plant is expected to employ about 300 people when it is operating at full capacity. The headquarters will have a smaller job impact of seven to 10 administrative and logistical employees, but it would bring some of Saft’s corporate decision-makers to Jacksonville. Saft operates in 18 countries with some 4,000 employees worldwide.
