Indiana battery developer to expand operations
NEWBERRY, Ind. (WISH) — A designer and developer of ultrathin film batteries announced plans Thursday to expand operations and create up to 30 high-wage jobs by 2020, state economic development officials said.
BrightVolt will expand to support its growing research and development operations at the Battery Innovation Center in Greene County adjacent to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, which builds and develops ships and systems for the U.S. Navy.
The Redmond, Washington-based company, which launched its research and development partnership with the the center in August, anticipates being fully operational in its 5,000-square-foot space by the end of September, with plans to potentially triple its space at the BIC by late 2018 as it begins to manufacture new battery prototypes at the facility.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. said it offered BrightVolt Inc. up to $200,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $175,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. The Regional Impact Fund of Radius Indiana provided additional incentives, the state said, and Greene County officials made infrastructure improvements.