BlueOval SK receives $9.63B to build 3 battery manufacturing plants in Tennessee and Kentucky
BlueOval SK LLC (BOSK) has announced the closing of a direct loan with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO). The company, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and SK On that was created to supply Ford with batteries for its growing electric vehicle (EV) product line, will receive up to $9.63 billion to aid in the construction of up to three manufacturing plants. The new facilities, which will be located in Tennessee and Kentucky, will produce batteries for Ford Motor Company’s future Ford and Lincoln EVs. According to the company, the three plants will enable more than 120 gigawatt hours of U.S. battery production annually, and the project will create 7,500 new jobs for the surrounding areas.
DOE in the news
Winners of MAKE IT Prize awarded over $11M to improve clean energy manufacturing
The winners in two tracks of the Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize have just been announced.
U.S. government invests $71M to strengthen auto production, battery recycling, and smart manufacturing
The funding will be used to aid federal partnerships with state and local governments, and help federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas reach disadvantaged communities.
Blueprint details how to make the U.S. industrial sector cleaner and more competitive
The document is designed to enable greater coordination to enhance a clean and competitive industrial sector.
Manufacturers investing in Tennessee
Petainer invests $10M to expand manufacturing operations in Tennessee
The expansion will more than double the company’s headcount statewide.
Metal manufacturer invests $8.5M to open production plant in Tennessee
The plant will support medium- to heavy-gauge steel fabrication, including steel plate burning, machining, shot blasting and flattening.
Nashville Wire Products invests $20M to build new manufacturing plant in Tennessee
This will be the company’s sixth facility in the state.
Manufacturers investing in Kentucky
Toyota invests $922M to build advanced paint facility in Kentucky
The plant will add 1 million square-feet of capacity while simultaneously helping the company cut carbon emissions by 30% and water usage by 1.5 million gallons per year.
Greenville Manufacturing Kentucky invests $16.2M to open new production facility in Kentucky
The investment will fund new equipment, as well as increased operational space to meet growing consumer demand and company growth.
L2 Aviation invests $12.2M to establish manufacturing operations in Kentucky
L2 Aviation intends to locate in an existing office and production facility, as well as a hangar at CVG Airport.
Investing in American manufacturing in 2025
This map shows where manufacturers are choosing to invest their resources, whether they are building new production facilities or expanding existing plants.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn
