A new company to supply parts related to electric vehicle batteries plans to build a manufacturing plant near the Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina plant under construction in the Liberty area.
Fujihatsu & Toyotsu Battery Components North Carolina LLC, a joint venture between Fujihatsu Tech America Inc. and Toyota Tsusho America Inc., announced it will invest $60 million in the project, which eventually will create 133 new jobs — 60 by the end of 2026. It will make prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers with discharge valves for automotive and EV batteries. FTBC’s production is expected to begin in 2025.
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 workers will receive training support administered by Randolph Community College.
Darrell Frye, chairman of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners, welcomed FTBC to the county in a prepared statement.
“The $60 million investment and 133 new jobs will further provide job opportunities for our citizens, especially for young families that will sustain our economy for years to come. The presence of FTBC is a further acknowledgement of the business-friendly attitude of Randolph County, our quality of life, and the work ethic of the Randolph County employee,” he said.
Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, said the announcement is another sign of North Carolina’s reputation in the clean energy and EV industries.
“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,” he said.
In 2021, Toyota announced plans for its first North American battery manufacturing plant at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite near Liberty. What started as a projected $1.29 billion investment that would create 1,750 jobs has since grown to $13.9 billion and 5,000 projected jobs.
FTBC was established in July 2023 but was just announced earlier this month. The new company is 60% owned by Fujihatsu Tech America which will lend its technical expertise to the project, and 40% by Toyota Tsusho America Inc., which will provide administrative and operational support.
Fujihatsu Tech American is a subsidiary of Fuji Springs, a major manufacturer in Japan of prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers.
There are three types of automotive batteries: prismatic, cylindrical, and laminated. Most of the automotive battery manufacturers in the U.S. are currently producing cylindrical and laminated batteries, so there are few U.S. suppliers with experience in manufacturing aluminum cell cases for the prismatic batteries Toyota will produce, Toyota Tsusho America said in a press release.
