Sion Power Signals Expansion

PHOTO: COURTESY SION POWER

Company to Add 150 More Jobs

By Jay Gonzales

Tucson-based Sion Power Corporation announced an expansion of its operation that manufactures electric vehicle batteries in a growing industrial sector near Tucson International Airport.

The company has plans to expand at a 111,400-square-foot building at 6950 S. Country Club Road, near its headquarters at 2900 E. Elvira Road. Sion expects to add 150 jobs on top of the 100 already here. The new jobs will be primarily engineering, skilled technicians and other manufacturing-related positions, the company said in a news release.

“The global construction of battery manufacturing plants is occurring at a rapid pace, and the United States can’t be left behind,” said Tracy Kelley, CEO of Sion Power. “With our facility expansion, it will allow Sion Power to further our mission of scaling battery manufacturing from research and development to commercialization. This enables us to better serve our customers and their applications.”

Sion began in 1989 as a spin-off from Brookhaven National Laboratory, which was primarily a research and development company. The new facility in Tucson will double Sion’s footprint here.

Sion Power’s facility expansion will be equipped with fully automated battery cell production capabilities, including proprietary lithium metal anode manufacturing, cell assembly and testing, the company said.

The company is receiving financial incentives that must be approved by the Tucson City Council.

“I want to congratulate Sion Power and CEO Tracy Kelley on their latest plans for expansion,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “Tucson is a national leader in EV readiness and a growing hub for battery manufacturing in the Southwest. Together, we are creating hundreds of high-wage green jobs and elevating Tucson’s reputation as a leader in climate action.”

The company said in its news release that it chose to expand in Tucson because of its history here and access to the availability of quality and skilled employees in the Tucson community. The company has been in Tucson since it was formed. The expansion will allow it to scale up its ultra-high energy, lithium-metal based Licerion® battery development.

“Sion Power’s expansion further emphasizes Arizona’s global leadership in battery and EV technologies,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “We are excited Sion Power will continue its impressive legacy in Tucson, manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles while expanding Arizona’s battery supply chain.”

Joe Snell, president and CEO at Sun Corridor Inc., the region’s economic development arm, said Sion expansion plans here demonstrates the region’s commitment to getting companies to headquarter here with the ability to grow.

“Beyond business attraction, another critical aspect to economic development success is to help local headquarter companies like Sion Power expand,” Snell said. “We’re thrilled to see this expansion include innovative and nextgen technologies that offer high-skilled jobs to our community.”