GLENDALE, Ky. — The East Hardin Middle School gym was packed on Tuesday night, but those in attendance were here not for a sports game. They were discussing the implications of the Blue Oval SK Battery Park being built in Glendale. 

What You Need To Know

  • BlueOval SK’s EV battery plant is being built in Glendale

  • The twin battery plants will sit on 2.3 square miles of land

  • The plants will produce batteries for Ford and Lincoln vehicles

  • Locals are excited about the increased employment and economic impact the plants will provide

The plant’s owners will staff local teams to continuously gather feedback from the community, which excites 50-year resident Michael Bell.

“The possibility is the greatest thing that I [could] see,” said Bell.

The battery plant will make electric vehicle batteries for Ford and Lincoln vehicles. 

Bell, a long time Glendale resident, feels that if the planning is done correctly, it’ll be positive. And other members of the Community and business leaders are hopeful about the effects of the plant.

“This is a new technology coming to central Kentucky. So for us here in this area and especially at this college, being a part of training folks for new technologies and new careers is pretty exciting,” said Juston Pate, president of Elizabethtown Community Technical College. 

BlueOval SK plans on hiring at least 5,000 local employees. There will be a training facility associated with Elizabethtown Community and Technical College on the plant’s site. 

Any hired employee will use the facility during onboarding. 

Pate hopes that the opportunity and need for employment will benefit the community.

“I think having an investment like this in our area is going to help all of us grow and expand. The college is going to expand programming and I’m sure we’re going to see enrollment growth as our population grows,” Pate said.  

Since ECTC is part of a state college system, students from other parts of Kentucky can take part in the training at their college. 

“A lot of the things that we’ve done with the BlueOval SK project and it’s training we can share with Jefferson Technical and Community College, so Louisville students can have immediate exposure without having to drive 40 minutes to the college to get that,” Pate said. 

As the town gets ready to have more action because of the plant, Bell wants to protect what makes the town unique. 

“People are coming to Glendale because of the charm, the characteristics of the community. That’s one of the things we really want to hold on to,” Bell said. 

The two plants are expected to begin production in 2025.

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