Samsung plans $62.7 million auto battery plant, 461 jobs near Detroit

South Korea's Samsung is planning to open a $62.7 million automotive battery plant in near Detroit in Auburn Hills, Mich., that would create 461 jobs by the end of 2024.

The plant will serve as a battery pack manufacturing facility, r&d center and headquarters of auto battery operations for Samsung SDI America Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based subsidiary of Samsung's storage battery manufacturing company.

It will be the company's first high-volume auto battery facility in the United States and will supply rechargeable batteries for the auto, IT and energy storage system industries, according to a news release from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Samsung's local customers were not disclosed. 

The company considered a competing site in Ohio that offered immediate occupancy, room for expansion, close proximity to its primary supplier and an "extremely aggressive" incentives package from the state of Ohio, according to the MEDC.

"Additional constraints to moving forward with the project in Michigan include immediate access to a qualified workforce, electricity cost and the availability of electric power," the MEDC said in a memo.

The Michigan Strategic Fund on Tuesday approved a $10 million Michigan Business Development Program grant for the project. It is also being supported by a property tax abatement from the city of Auburn Hills and a 6-mill State Education Tax abatement.

Jobs promised at the plant include production line operators, factory managers and engineers.

The company is considering expansion of other areas of business in the plant depending on the market.

Samsung has a production presence in Auburn Hills, according to its website. It employs 130 people in Michigan and 30,000 worldwide.