SK On Tennessee has continued to curtail staff in Stanton since becoming a stand-alone company after ending its joint venture agreement with Ford auto manufacturer in December.
The company confirmed that approximately 40 positions at SK On Tennessee are being reduced, while approximately 30 positions are being retained. The story was first reported by the Memphis Business Journal.
“SK On Tennessee made a workforce adjustment to better align operations with business needs,” Keli McAlister, communications & external affairs director, said in an email. “We are committed to supporting affected team members through the transition process. Our commitment to the communities we
serve, the State of Tennessee, and our customers remains unchanged.”
SK On and Ford Motor Co. reached an agreement in December to disband their U.S. battery manufacturing joint venture, BlueOval SK.
Under the agreement, a Ford subsidiary will take full ownership of the battery plants in Kentucky, while SK On will have full ownership and operate the Stanton battery plant in Tennessee.
In May, SK announced SK On Tennessee as its newest U.S. entity, operating as an independent SK On company. Before becoming SK On Tennessee, BlueOval SK announced in May plans to reduce its workforce by 150 positionsamid a corporate restructuring.
The BlueOval SK battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee were initially planned to create 2,500 jobs at full capacity, but SK On has not announced what the new jobs total will be for SK On Tennessee.
According to its website, SK On Tennessee — which is led by CEO Michael Adams is — projected to start production in 2028.
The facility is situated on the south end of the BlueOval City campus and spans 4 million square feet, the equivalent of approximately 70 American football fields. SK On Tennessee stretches approximately one mile from east to west and just less than a quarter of a mile from north to south. SK On Tennessee plans to build off the legacy of its predecessor, BlueOval SK, which began operations in July 2022.
“We will create a premier workforce and manufacturing facility unlike anything this area has seen before,” Adams said on the company’s website. "We are building the future.”
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: SK On Tennessee reduces workforce at Stanton battery plant
