SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — A new battery plant is coming to Shelby County and is expected to bring thousands of jobs with it.
What You Need To Know
- Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing is a $700 million-plus investment and will employ more than 1,500 people
- It's the largest investment in Shelby County and the third largest for Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., since becoming governor
- Production is expected to begin in late 2025
“One million square-foot facility that was built on speculation ... the battery company saw it; it worked out," said Shelby County Judge Executive Dan Ison. "The governor and I had been working on this project for months,"
Ison said his job is to attract new industries to the area, and with the help of Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., that's exactly what's playing out on Taylorsville Road, just south of Shelbyville.
The location will be a 6-gigawatt-hour battery cell manufacturing facility. Giga means "big," both in the size of batteries made and the workforce needed to do it.
Ison said the plant is a $700 million-plus investment and is expected to bring 1,500 new jobs. He added Shelbyville Battery will add to the county's more than 80 other existing industries, which is one of Kentucky's fastest-growing areas.
“The map sells Shelby County," said Ray Leathers, Shelby County Industrial Development Foundation executive director. "Shelby County is in the golden triangle between Louisville, Lexington and Cincinnati. We’re one of the few counties that has the profile we do."
Located near four interstates, rail, airports and an air hub, Shelbyville Battery could begin production by the end of 2025.
“You’re six hours away from 60 to 70% of the population of the U.S., so we’re right in the center of distribution for the United States,” Leathers said.
Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing is a subsidiary of e-STORAGE, based in Ontario, Canada.