EaglePicher Invests $10 Million in Li-ion Batteries

EaglePicher Technologies, LLC and the City of Joplin, Missouri. will construct a new 24,000 square-foot facility in the Crossroads Industrial Park in Joplin. EaglePicher will use the new building for the development and production of lithium-ion cells and batteries for U.S. military critical applications.

The new building is being constructed by Crossland Construction Co., Inc. and will include dry and clean rooms fabricated by Scientific Climate Systems, Inc. of Houston, Texas, for critical process steps with dedicated air handling systems for each process. It will also have a full diagnostic laboratory on-site, paperless tracking of all cell and battery build and performance data, PLC capability and bar coding for all process steps.

EaglePicher Technologies is investing over $10 million in the new facility. Construction will be completed on or before December 29, 2006, and product production is expected to begin by the fourth quarter of 2007. EaglePicher expects up to 100 new high tech employees in the facility within 3 to 5 years.