Assembly plant, supplier park and battery manufacturing plant will bring 5,800 new jobs to the region

Media contact: Cortney Piper, cpiper@tnadvancedenergy.com

Knoxville, Tenn. (September 28, 2021) — Ford Motor Company announced a $5.6 billion investment in Tennessee’s advanced energy economy late yesterday, a new all-electric F-series truck assembly plant at the Memphis Regional Megasite. The development includes an electric battery manufacturing plant to be operated by SK Innovation. Altogether, the investment will create one of the largest vehicle and battery manufacturing plants in the United States. 

Cortney Piper, Executive Director of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement.

“The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council applauds Governor Bill Lee and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe for bringing this investment in the advanced energy economy to the State of Tennessee. The commitment by Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation represents a huge vote of confidence in Tennessee’s advanced energy industry and our workforce. Governor Lee and Commissioner Rolfe set a goal of making Tennessee the number one state in the country for the electric vehicle supply chain, and it’s great to see that goal become a reality.” 

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) was created to champion the advanced energy industry, which includes fostering the growth of advanced energy startups and technologies.

Earlier this year TAEBC released an updated economic impact report that measured the scope and scale of the state’s advanced energy economy, which includes the electric vehicle supply chain. Altogether, Tennessee’s advanced energy industry grew at a faster pace than the state’s overall economy and employs nearly 394,000 Tennesseans in more than 20,300 businesses that contribute almost $46 billion to the state’s GDP. For more information on that report, click here.

About Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council

TAEBC champions advanced energy as an economic development and job creation strategy. Advanced energy is technology neutral and includes electricity and transportation. Anything that makes energy cleaner, safer, more secure or more efficient is in the tent. No other entity in the state concentrates specifically on this robust sector. We educate public officials and business leaders about Tennessee’s advanced energy economy, establish strategic partnerships to connect assets with opportunities, and inform policy that expands and strengthens the industry. For more information, visit: https://tnadvancedenergy.com/