A high-quality electrodeposited (ED) copper foil manufacturer Denkai America announced Wednesday in a joint statement with Governor Brian Kemp that it will invest $430 million in a Richmond County-based facility that will create 250 jobs over the next five years.
“As Georgia continues to lead in the emerging electric vehicle market & next-gen jobs, I’m proud to announce that Denkai America will invest $430M & create 250 new jobs over the next five years in Richmond County through its new manufacturing facility and North American Headquarters!” Kemp said.
Parent company Nippon Denkai was originally founded in Kyoto, Japan in the late 1950’s. In 2019, according to company statements, the company acquired a South Carolina based copper foil manufacturer Oak-Mitsui, changing its name to Denkai America. Denkai America is the only North American manufacturer of electrodeposited copper foil used in printed electronics.
“We have been laser focused on bringing quality jobs to highly-trained, hardworking Georgians across the state, and we look forward to seeing one-of-a-kind companies like Denkai thrive in Georgia’s top-ranking pro-business environment,” Kemp said.
The company notes that, historically, it has created material used in the aerospace and defense industries, such as energy storage and printed circuit board (PCB) application parts. Those materials are now used in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles.
“Today, Gov. Kemp announced that Denkai America, whose copper foil is used in the defense, aerospace and EV industries, will build a new manufacturing facility at the GRAD Certified Augusta Corporate Park,” the Georgia, USA Twitter account announced on Wednesday.
The United States Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, welcomed the announcement in a statement on Thursday.
“Another success for commercial diplomacy: Nippon Denkai will invest $150 million in a new plant in Georgia to produce materials for #EV batteries. More jobs, more clean technology, more U.S.-Japan cooperation,” Emanuel said.
Construction on the facility is expected to begin in September as part of a three-phase investment, with the goal for the plant to be fully operational by December 2024.
“This investment highlights our commitment to leading ED battery foil manufacturing in North America for many years to come,” Denkai Group President and CEO Heday Nakajima said.
EV-related projects have brought in some $12.6 billion in investments and 17,800 jobs to Georgia since 2020.
“The Development Authority of Augusta, Georgia, is excited to welcome Denkai America and its North American headquarters to the Augusta Corporate Park. We know they will be a great corporate citizen and bring high-skilled jobs to the growing list of companies that call Augusta and the Augusta Corporate Park home,” Augusta Economic Development Chairman Steven Kendrick said.
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 Addison Basurto is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Addy on Twitter and GETTR. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Future Denkai America Plant” by Denkai America.Â
