Mayor: Second Stellantis plant in Kokomo ‘speaks volumes’
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“Excited is probably an understatement” is what Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore said when asked about Wednesday’s announcement that the joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung SDI is investing $3.2 billion in a second electric vehicle battery plant in the city that will create 1,400 additional jobs.
The global automaker is already building a $2.5 billion EV battery plant in the city that is also creating 1,400 jobs.
The mayor said the development of a second plant will “keep Kokomo on the forefront of the automotive industry as it transitions to electric vehicles.”
Moore told Inside INdiana Business the city knew the first plant would be transformative, but challenges do remain.
“To know now that [the plant] being duplicated in scope and size and the number of anticipated employees makes us even more excited, as well as nervous about the impact it’s going to have because as we know, statewide, Indiana is facing a housing shortage, and Kokomo is no different,” Moore said.
Addressing the need for housing and engaging with housing developers has been the city’s main priority since before the announcement of the second plant, the mayor said.
The city commissioned a housing study at the beginning of the year, and Moore said they have used that as a tool to show developers the needs of the city and how they can assist.
“Since that time, for months now, we’ve met with interested developers to see what those projects may look like, what challenges they may face, how the city can help address any financing gaps, and such,” he said. “And so our initiatives will not let up.”
The original EV batter manufacturing plant, first announced in May 2022, is slated to begin production in the first quarter of 2025. Moore said talent development is also key not just for the battery plants, but related suppliers locating in the area.
He said higher education institutions such as Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana University Kokomo are teaming up with StarPlus Energy, the name of the joint venture, to develop future talent.
“Both of those institutions have basically joined forces to continue to look not only at the existing pathways that they have with a lot of the local high schools, but working with StarPlus Energy in creating training and additional courses and such to offer not only to those in the Kokomo and Howard County and even surrounding area, but knowing that we’ll have to tap into the region as a whole or even look to outside of the state borders to entice workers to come to Kokomo to work and hopefully, eventually live.”
As the business climate in Kokomo seems to be transitioning to a greater focus on electric vehicles, Moore says the city itself is doing the same.
The city is installing five new EV charging stations in partnership with a local car dealership in addition to the stations already in place at its two downtown parking garages and at the Inventrek Technology Park.
Moore says the city is looking at potential grants to install additional EV charging stations in the future.
“It’ll be a slow transition, I think, but we’re looking at the infrastructure here and where we can strategically placed additional charging stations to slowly meet the need as it grows.”
In the meantime, the mayor said the city looks forward to continuing to strengthen its relationship with Stellantis and Samsung SDI as the development of the new battery plants continues.
“StarPlus Energy’s commitment to Kokomo and Howard County speaks volumes on the continued trust that they have, not only in our local workforce and the workforce within the region, but the economic climate that Indiana has achieved with Governor Holcomb and the IEDC,” he said. “They’ve been great partners through all this, as well.”