CLARKSVILLE, TN — JE Dunn Construction, Middle Tennessee’s largest general contractor, and LG Chem, a global science-oriented chemical company, broke ground on the new battery material manufacturing facility located in Clarksville, Tennessee. This project, kicking off with a $1.6 billion injection for the first phase, represents one of the largest foreign direct investment in Tennessee’s history. When all phases complete, the EV material facility will create more than 800 jobs in the Clarksville market.

Executives from LG Chem and JE Dunn were joined at the ceremony by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Stuart McWhorter, and members of Clarksville’s local government and economic and community development board members.

LG Chem’s new facility will be the largest cathode-specific plant in the United States, spanning 420 acres. Cathode, a compound comprised of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and aluminum, is integral to the production of electric batteries, heavily determining battery capacity and stability. By 2028, the facility is projected to produce 60,000 tons of cathode annually, which can power an estimated 0.6 million high-performance electric vehicles. Additionally, the new plant will be designed with sustainability in mind and be powered solely by renewable energy sources, solar, and wind.

“The next generation of the automotive industry is making a home in Tennessee,” said Brent Strength, Senior Vice President and Industrial & Manufacturing Market Leader at JE Dunn. “With this new facility, LG Chem is pushing EV innovation to new heights, featuring some of the most advanced manufacturing technology in the world. Thank you to LG Chem for entrusting JE Dunn to bring your vision to life.”

“The scale and complexity of this facility will be one of the largest our Nashville team has built, and we are excited to get started,” said Sean Buck, Senior Vice President at JE Dunn. “The new LG Chem facility will embody innovation and forward-thinking design and construction and will set a new standard for manufacturing facilities for our region, state, and the entire country.”

Construction of the first phase of the LG Chem Clarksville facility is scheduled to be completed by 2025. JE Dunn will serve as design-builder alongside partners Gresham Smith, TTL, and I.C. Thomasson Associates.