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Could Tucson become “Battery Valley”?

Two battery companies added operations this week

By: Craig Smith

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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Predictions say batteries will power even more of our future. They’re already adding power to the Tucson economy.

As Tucson grows, it’s been working to expand its reputation as a technology center. Pima County, Tucson and Sun Corridor have been working to attract more tech heavy businesses and lately they’ve had a double success in the world of sophisticated batteries.

Sion Power has been making sophisticated batteries in Tucson for about 30 years. Now with battery demand soaring, the company has decided the time is right to move into a new, much bigger facility and to more than double its Tucson workforce from 100 to 250 workers.

It’s the sort of growth that encourages other tech heavy companies to see Tucson as a great place to be. We asked Sion CEO Tracy Kelley if Tucson’s on its way to becoming not Silicon Valley but Battery Valley.

He says, “If Sion Power had anything to do with it. Yes, it definitely will. It has all the characteristics and I think that the people who are in government and so forth, now have the insight to pull those industries in early. And I think that goes to the point that you were making earlier, it sort of cross pollinates and it proliferates after that seeding.”

Kelley says the new American Battery Factory just announced isn’t competition as much as it’s an enhancement to the atmosphere that will make Tucson more of a battery technology leader and even more of a technical center than it’s become already.

That factory plans to attract other businesses that will use the batteries it creates and work towards developing skills and technology in Tucson that should spread through the fast growing battery industry.

American Battery CEO Paul Charles says, “This is generational in the effect because the skill sets it'll be taught and learned here, we'll be transferable to other locations as well. And as we expand out, we'll be able to have an opportunity to take those that really understand those skills and traits and to be able to promote them and be able to be leaders in other areas around the world.”

Sion CEO Tracy Kelley says as his company expands it will be looking to hire workers with skills ranging from manufacturing ability to the ability to design and create the batteries that will power our future.

SION’s new plant should be ready in about Fall of 2025. American Battery Factory says portions of its plant should be ready in fall of next year.

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