Obama: Factory will build better future
HOLLAND, Mich., July 15 (UPI) -- A lithium ion battery manufacturing plant ready to be built in Holland, Mich., is representative of America's future, President Barack Obama said Thursday.
"This is more than about building new factory; it is about building a better future for this city, this state and this country," Obama said during a groundbreaking ceremony for Compact Power, which will manufacture advanced batteries for hybrid vehicles.
The plant is the last of nine new advanced battery factories to start construction as a result of the $2.4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act advanced battery and electric vehicle awards Obama announced last August.
The project is expected to create 300 construction and 300 manufacturing jobs in Holland. When it is fully operational, the Compact factory will produce battery cells to support 53,000 Chevy Volts per year, the White House said.
In addition, Obama said, the plant also will have the capacity to make batteries for the electric Ford Focus.
"These batteries will be stamped 'Made in America' just as your car," Obama said.
Advances in the manufacturing of the batteries also are expected to drop manufacturing costs by 70 percent over the next few years, Obama said, meaning more jobs and less dependency on foreign oil, "helping to build a stronger economy in the long run."
Obama also used the occasion to chide congressional members who criticized his efforts to revive a moribund economy, saying their criticism "doesn't stop them from (coming to) ribbon cuttings, but that's OK."
In the audience was Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., a frequent critic of the administration's policies.
Obama said he wanted people who pushed against his policies to "explain why it's better for these (batteries) to be made in other countries."
While the economy is improving, Obama said the country isn't out of the woods yet.
"Most workers and entrepreneurs understand we're not in the clear yet," Obama said. "But they understand we're heading in the right direction."
Tags: career choices, employment news, unemployment
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