Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME) joined Toda America, Inc. (Toda), Governor Jennifer Granholm, state and local officials, and others last week to celebrate the groundbreaking for Toda’s new $70 million high-tech battery components plant in Battle Creek, Michigan. Located on an 18-acre brownfield site, the 70,000 square-foot facility will produce lithium ion cathode materials for battery cells for electric drive vehicles.

 

SME helped Battle Creek Unlimited and the City of Battle Creek secure approximately $4,000,000 in state and local brownfield financial incentives for environmental and site preparation activities needed to prepare the site for redevelopment.

 

SME also prepared an Act 381 Work Plan for environmental and non-environmental response activities, managed environmental due diligence and due care requirements and provided geotechnical engineering solutions to address complicated site conditions associated with construction at this brownfield site. During construction, SME will work with Hazama Corporation (designer/builder) and provide construction materials services related to earthwork, foundations, concrete, structural steel, asphalt and storm water. Toda said that it plans to build its manufacturing plant in two phases. Phase one is scheduled for operation in 2011 and the phase two expansion is expected to be complete in 2013. 

 

Toda received a $35 million U.S. Department of Energy grant and State of Michigan MEGA Tax Credit of $1.6 million to help off-set project costs.

 

Toda, which is a joint venture between Toda Kogyo Corporation and ITOCHU Corporation, will provide materials to LG Chem in Holland that are to be installed in General Motors Company’s new Chevrolet Volt hybrid vehicle. The project is expected to add 50-60 direct new high-tech manufacturing jobs and up to a total of 148 new jobs including 91 indirect jobs according to MEDC.

SME supports clients at every stage of development and ownership, from site acquisition, design and construction, to maintenance, restoration and redevelopment. We’ve guided clients through the complex financial maze to take advantage of available brownfield and other development financing programs to help them achieve their goals. SME has secured over $90,000,000 in state/federal grants, loans, tax credits, and tax increment financing for municipal and private brownfield redevelopment projects valued at over $900,000,000. Since 1964, our mission has been to add significant value to our clients’ projects and become a trusted member of their project team. Our staff of over 200 professionals operates from nine offices in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. We assist our clients locally and across the world by providing practical, sustainable solutions to the most challenging site and building related problems. From land use and brownfield redevelopment to green buildings and alternative energy sources, we are committed to helping our clients achieve a sustainable future. Our geosciences, materials and environmental capabilities serve many markets in the built and natural environment, covering Commercial, Development/ Redevelopment, Education, Energy, Healthcare, Industrial, Retail, State/Local Government, Telecommunications, Transportation, and Agriculture.