Charged up: Hundreds more lithium battery jobs coming to North Carolina

RALEIGH – More new jobs related to lithium batteries needed for use in electric vehicles are coming to North Carolina.

Linwood in Davidson County will be the site for a production site from a new venture formed by Dai Nippon Printing Company which is based in Japan.

The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee on Tuesday agreed to a contract with the firm, awarding close to $3 million in state incentives if job requirements are met.

The company plans to create 352 jobs at an average wage of just more than $50,000

Its focus: “Lithium-ion battery pouch films [which] are the materials used for soft packaging of lithium ion batteries to isolate the inside materials of the cell from the outside atmosphere.”

The news follows Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent trade visit to Japan.

“My meeting with DNP in Tokyo last month was productive and I’m grateful they are building their EV battery pouch manufacturing facility in North Carolina which is yet another sign of our growing clean energy economy,” said Cooper in the announcement about the new plant made after the EIC meeting. “We welcome them to Davidson County where we know they will find a world-class workforce and an excellent quality of life to support their new operation.”

It also is to invest some $233 million in the new plant.

The news is the latest revolving around the EV industry, ranging from Toyota’s massive plant being built in the Triad to EV manufacturer VinFast’s complex under construction in Chatham County.

“From the east to the west, North Carolina’s electric vehicle industry is growing exponentially,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders in the announcement. “Our natural resources and our reputation for highly skilled talent and strong transportation infrastructure, continue to attract global leaders, like DNP, that share our commitment to sustainability.”