Missouri Governor Jay Nixon helped break ground on a new battery manufacturing facility in Joplin. EaglePicher Technologies' 100,000 square foot expansion is expected to create 171 new jobs for the region.
The company's new Lithium-Ion Center of Excellence will house work for new lithium-ion cell and battery product lines. It's expected to be completed by December 2015.
EaglePicher has operated in Joplin since 1875 and currently serves defense, aerospace, medical, commercial, alternative energy storage and oil and gas industries, according to a news release from Nixon's office. It provides custom battery assemblies, battery management systems, pyrotechnic devices and custom power solutions for a variety of applications.
EaglePicher president, Randy Moore, said, "this expansion opportunity bolsters our company's competitive strength while providing a number of new, cutting-edge jobs benefiting Joplin and neighboring communities."
The expansion is expected to create 15 construction jobs, and EaglePicher plans to recruit dozens of engineers, manufacturers and quality control specialists to being work sometime in the second or third quarter of 2015, according to the news release.
"This significant expansion by a long-standing Missouri company is a testament to the pro-growth climate" in Missouri, Nixon said. He pointed to the identification six years ago by the Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth of the energy industry as an area worthy of focus.
