Semcorp Advanced Materials Group, a global separator film supplier, has begun construction on an 850,000-square-foot facility in Sidney, Ohio.
Semcorp is the largest manufacturer of lithium-ion battery separator film in the world. The separator film is a crucial part of batteries that power phones, computers, and electric vehicles. Semcorp is currently based in China and has facilities around Asia. It recently began an expansion to other areas of the globe, building facilities in Hungary and the United States.
Two years ago, JobsOhio contacted the City of Sidney about a site for "Project Greenleaf." The mystery company was interested in the Sidney Industrial Park because it is site-certified. It has water, sewer, gas, and electricity already installed. It is also located in the I-75 corridor, close to manufacturers that use lithium-ion batteries, like Honda.
Andrew Bowsher, the city manager of Sidney, says that Sidney competed with two other sites for the contract.
"They keyed into three specific locations: here in Sidney, New York, and Texas. It ended up coming down between us and the site in Texas. We ended up winning. It was a huge win for the state of Ohio and for Sidney."
Semcorp will invest $916 million in the new facility. Semcorp will build the facility at the Sidney Ohio Industrial Park, on Millcreek and Kuther Road. Semcorp hired local contractors for the Dayton Region to begin construction on the site. Bowsher predicts that Phase 1 will be operational by the fall of 2024.
Phase 1 will create 1,200 jobs and generate $73 million in annual payroll. The site has only been approved for Phase 1 but can hold four total phases. Each additional phase would cost another $1 billion and create 1,000 jobs. Semcorp has not confirmed any additional phases.
Bowsher says that housing is the biggest concern that Sidney faces.
"We launched a housing initiative study. We've been working with a lot of developers to build additional housing," he explained. "We're trying to bring that online as Phase 1 with Semcorp gets launched as well. Even before Semcorp, we were having housing shortage issues. It's our number one priority here in Sidney."
Bowsher estimates that the population and property values will increase once the facility is operational.
"When you have a large manufacturing presence like this, or you have large investments, property values become too high, and it becomes not sustainable. Our goal is to make sure that we're continuing to build to keep pace with that so it doesn't become a problem in the future," Bowsher said.
Transportation is also a concern for Sidney, Ohio. The city is working with the Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio Department of Transportation to change intersections and road lanes for additional truck traffic.
"We're going to be in a really great place in the next few years as this continues to roll out. We're excited about Sidney's future," Bowsher said.