Panasonic Awards Turner-Yates Contract to Build EV Battery Plant

March 1, 2023 – De Soto, Kan. – A joint venture team of Turner Construction Company and Yates Construction is pleased to announce that they were selected by Panasonic Energy to build a manufacturing facility for electric vehicle batteries in De Soto, Kansas. In addition to the assembly facility, this phase of an overall $4 billion program will include construction of a central utility plant and support buildings.

The battery manufacturing facility is a critical part of Panasonic’s investment in the United States to expand EV battery production capacity. This project creates new jobs with competitive wages and will help drive the economy and manufacturing in the De Soto region, and across Kansas and the United States. It also will support the Panasonic Group’s commitment to reduce global carbon emissions. The factory is a demonstration of the Panasonic Group’s Green IMPACT initiative, which is aimed at reducing the company’s CO2 emission to virtually net-zero by 2030 and contributing to 300 million tons in avoided emissions by 2050.

The plant is expected to begin production by the end of March 2025 and will eventually reach approximately 30 GWh of annual production capacity.

“We are excited to be part of the team delivering this plant to support Panasonic’s goal to meet the growing demand for high quality batteries from their automotive partners,” said Jim Brownrigg, Senior Vice President of Turner Construction Company. Jim continued, “The team shares a common goal for improving environmental performance and are committed to reduce onsite greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption during construction of the facility.

“This is a very exciting project for the Kansas City region and our company,” said William G. Yates III, President & CEO of Yates Construction. “As one of the largest EV battery and advanced manufacturing contractors in the U.S., Yates Construction has extensive experience in this sector. We look forward to working with Panasonic to deliver this important project in support of their long-term commitment to achieving a net-zero emissions future.”

“It is exciting to add this EV battery plant to our growing portfolio of work in this market,” said Karen Hogan, Vice President & General Manager of Turner Construction Company. Karen continued, “More importantly thousands of people from the greater Kansas City area will participate in building a project that has global impact and provide people in our community green economy jobs.”

About Turner Construction

Our vision is to be the highest value provider of construction services. We deliver our services on complex and challenging building projects of all types and sizes throughout North America and in 30 countries around the world. We seek to create a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable future for our people, clients, partners, and the planet. We have earned a reputation for integrity, working safely, and driving innovation. With a focus on creating an environment where people can be at their best, be authentic, and be treated with respect and dignity, the company is widely recognized as a great place to work including by Newsweek which recognized the company as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity in 2023 and by Glassdoor who recognized the Best Places to Work in 2023. The firm is a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF, an engineering-led global infrastructure group with leading positions across its core activities of construction, services, and concessions/public-private partnerships (PPP) focused on Australia, North America, and Europe. To learn more about Turner visit www.turnerconstruction.com.

About Yates Construction

G. Yates & Sons Construction Company (Yates Construction) is part of The Yates Companies, Inc., which ranks among the top construction services providers. The firm can provide a full range of construction services to clients nationally and internationally. In recent years, Yates has ranked among the top 50 providers in all delivery methods (Construction Management, Program Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build), #1 in Automotive Plant construction, and #3 in Manufacturing by Engineering News-Record (ENR). These attributes make Yates one of the construction industry’s largest and most well-respected corporations today. To learn more about Yates Construction, visit www.wgyates.com.

 About Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., established in April 2022 as part of the Panasonic Group’s switch to an operating company system, provides innovative battery technology-based products and solutions globally. Through its automotive lithium-ion batteries, storage battery systems and dry batteries, the company brings safe, reliable, and convenient power to a broad range of business areas, from mobility and social infrastructure to medical and consumer products. Panasonic Energy is committed to contributing to a society that realizes happiness and environmental sustainability, and through its business activities the Company aims to address societal issues while taking the lead on environmental initiatives. For more details, please visit https://www.panasonic.com/global/energy/

About the Panasonic Group

A global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, communications, and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022 with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company and eight companies positioned under its umbrella. Founded in 1918, the Group is committed to enhancing the well-being of people and society and conducts its businesses based on founding principles applied to generate new value and offer sustainable solutions for today’s world. The Group reported consolidated net sales of 7,388.8 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2022. Devoted to improving the well-being of people, the Panasonic Group is united in providing superior products and services to help you Live Your Best. To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: https://holdings.panasonic/global/