LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Lansing Ultium Cells held a topping-out ceremony on Friday to celebrate the completion of the steel installation on its newest building.
The 2.8 million square feet facility will mass produce Ultium battery cells, part of a joint venture with General Motors and LG Energy Solution.
Construction workers cheered today as the last steel beam was tightened down. The plant is the third Ultium battery plant of its kind in the United States.
Lansing Ultium Cells broke ground on the $2.6 billion facility in September and after months of hard work, this is its first big milestone.
“Believe it or not, where the first steel was set on the other side of the building is 2,150 feet away from us right now that’s over four-tenths of a mile,” said Chris Petersen, a superintendent with Barton Malow construction.
The last beam was secured and completed with a Christmas tree on top — a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the Romans.
“The evergreen tree should be noticed as a key piece in all of this. As it symbolizes this structure was erected without significant injury or loss of life,” said Rudy Schultz with Barton Malow.
Ultium officials said when the plant is up and running, it’s expected to bring in more than 1,700 jobs.
“We are very excited about the opportunities that were going to offer the community. These will be highly technical manufacturing technology jobs that we will be providing the workforce, ” said plant director Grace Griffin.
The building will be producing batteries for General Motors electric vehicles like the Chevy Bolt and the new GMC Hummer.
“We’re targeting third quarter next year to begin the initial pilot; activities for run,” said Griffin.
When construction is complete on the building in late 2024, workers will have spent more than 500,000 hours on the site. Production at the battery plant is expected to begin in 2025.
