Entek announces location of new $1.5-billion battery separator plant

Entek CEO Larry Keith (second from left) and president Kim Medford (third from left) with Indiana state officials. Photo Credit: Entek Manufacturing Inc.

Extruder maker and battery technology supplier Entek Manufacturing Inc. has announced plans to establish operations in Indiana, investing US$1.5 billion in a new Terre Haute production facility.

In a March 22 news release, officials with Lebanon, Ore.-based Entek called the project its largest investment, which will create up to 642 new jobs by the end of 2027 and support the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry in Indiana and across the U.S.

The operations will be built on a 340-acre greenfield site in the Vigo County Industrial Park II in Terre Haute. The company plans to initially construct four buildings covering approximately 1.4 million square feet – equipped with equipment built at current Entek manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Nevada and including specialty biaxial stretching equipment supplied by Brueckner Group USA – to manufacture battery separators for lithium-ion battery manufacturers across the U.S.

The news release described the Terre Haute location as a “nearly shovel-ready construction site with available utilities located in an industrial park, excellent vocational education and the business-friendly incentives from both the state and local governments.”

Entek plans to break ground on the campus as soon as engineering and permitting is completed and launch its Indiana operations between 2025-2027. When completed, the site will be able to produce enough film for batteries powering up to 1.6 million vehicles, Entek said.