Fujihatsu & Toyotsu Battery Components, North Carolina LLC (FTBC), a new partnership between Fujihatsu Tech America, Inc. and Toyota Tsusho America, Inc., announced it will create 133 new jobs as it locates a new EV battery manufacturing facility in Liberty, North Carolina. FTBC is investing $60 million in the project which will manufacture and sell prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers with discharge valves to meet the increasing demand for automotive and electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This new facility will support Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina.
“North Carolina’s reputation as a leader in the clean energy and EV industries is not only attracting flagship companies like Toyota, but key players in the EV supply chain,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). “Our state’s world-class education system, customizable workforce development programs and the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast also provide the support companies like FTBC need to succeed. We look forward to FTBC being a part of North Carolina’s clean energy economy.”
In 2021, Toyota announced it will build its first North American battery manufacturing plant in Liberty, North Carolina, investing $1.29 billion and creating 1,750 jobs. Since then, Toyota has announced three additional expansions bringing the project’s total capital investment to $13.9 billion and 5,000 new jobs. FTBC’s production of its prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers will begin in 2025 with initial production volume to be 2.7 million units per month. By January 2026, production volume will reach 3.6 million units per month.
Between 2018 and 2022, Japanese companies have announced more than $6.6 billion in investment in North Carolina and more than 5,166 new jobs. Currently, more than 30,500 North Carolinians work for Japanese companies such as Toyota, FUJIFILM Diosynth and HondaJet. Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for FTBC’s new positions will be $58,935, which is more than Randolph County’s overall average annual wage of $45,801.
FTBC was established in July of 2023 and the joint venture was publicly announced earlier this month. The new company is 60% owned by Fujihatsu Tech America, Inc., which will lend its technical expertise to the project, and 40% by Toyota Tsusho America Inc., which will provide administrative and operational support.
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina would like to recognize the North Carolina Department of Commerce as well as other key partners involved in this project, including the North Carolina Community College System and Randolph Community College
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