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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

ZAF Energy Systems Opens Rechargeable Battery Manufacturing Plant in Joplin, Missouri

10/10/2017
ZAF Energy Systems Inc., a developer of next-generation battery technology, opened a new production facility in Joplin, Missouri. The facility is dedicated to manufacturing its initial line of rechargeable nickel zinc (NiZn) batteries.

According to state economic development officials, the new facility will dramatically expand ZAF's current production capacity and is expected to bring over 100 jobs to Joplin.

"We're fighting for more jobs and higher pay in Missouri and companies like ZAF Energy Systems are stepping up. They're creating 100 quality jobs at their new manufacturing plant in Joplin," said Governor Eric Greitens. "We're getting results. Companies are recognizing that Missouri is open for business, and Missourians are ready to work. This is a great opportunity for families in Joplin."

After a series of successful third-party test results by industry-leading companies in commercial trucking, manufacturing, and road construction, ZAF is expanding its production capacity to rapidly "seed the market" and drive demand for its nickel zinc battery as a replacement for lead-acid batteries in key market segments, the Missouri Department of Economic Development said. The additional production capability will enable the company to meet growing customer demand which will accelerate licensing and joint venture negotiations and commercialize NiZn batteries on a global scale. ZAF's NiZn batteries have potential uses in a wide range of applications including: automotive, heavy trucking, remote telecom, renewable energy, and marine.

"We just weren't able to keep up with the demand with the capacity we had in Montana," said ZAF President & CEO Randy Moore. "The new production facility in Joplin will drastically scale up production to several thousand batteries per month, enabling us to keep pace with growing demand while also refining manufacturing processes and accelerating development efforts. The end result will be a turnkey engineering package we can deliver to manufacturers with customer demand already built into the equation."

Montana will continue to serve as ZAF's research and development hub. ZAF will begin staffing the new facility by transferring five current employees from its Montana location and then hiring 20 new employees to work alongside them by the end of 2017. The facility's workforce is expected to grow to more than 100 workers. ZAF will be holding an open house for the Joplin community on October 18, 2017.

"We are excited that ZAF Energy Systems has selected Joplin to expand their operations," said Mike Seibert, mayor of Joplin. "Having worked with their CEO Randy Moore for nearly a decade, I have a high level of confidence that ZAF will provide the quality jobs we are looking for in our community."

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