After more than 1½ years of work, St. Joseph County has landed the largest economic development in its history and possibly the state’s.
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday morning that General Motors would build its EV battery complex with its partner Samsung SDI on about 650 acres of agricultural land at Larrison Boulevard and Indiana 2 just east of New Carlisle.
“This is a game-changer for us,” South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jeff Rea said during a press conference Tuesday morning after the announcement. “It puts us on radar screens that we haven’t been on before.”
The decision comes after a lengthy courtship with the automaker, and a change in direction when the automaker’s original partner on three other EV battery plants – LG Energy Solutions – decided not to proceed with a fourth plant earlier this year.
St. Joe County is located just west of Elkhart proper, encompassing South Bend, Mishawaka and other cities.
Click here to read the full report from Ed Semmler in the South Bend Tribune.