SPRING HILL, Tenn. – The Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee is currently a construction site where dirt, steel beams and rock will become a 2.8 million-square-foot facility producing battery cells next door to where General Motors will build the all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ1.
As we prepare for Earth Day and make progress toward an all-electric future, the teams at Ultium Cells are implementing strategies to help minimize impact on local environments and prioritize sustainability.
Planting the Future of Ultium Cells
GM Construction Project Manager Alonso De Avila and the Ultium Cells Spring Hill team are committed to evaluating the local impact of site construction – including avoiding waste, implementing creative reuse of materials and re-establishing impacted vegetation.
“We strive to find opportunities to support sustainability and the local community on our projects,” said De Avila. “We can meet our goals while building lasting relationships during construction and after it is complete.”
Ultium Cells is dedicated to finding new ways to invest in the surrounding community as the Spring Hill facility is being constructed and have made a commitment to replant vegetation around the site perimeter. Ultium Cells teamed up with construction companies and the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Tennessee to host a community tree-planting event in honor of Earth Day on April 21 where 600 new trees were planted to replace construction-impacted vegetation.
“We enjoy connecting with the Spring Hill Community and making a difference through sustainable means together,” said Chris Desautels, Ultium Cells Spring Hill Plant Director. “This event is one of many proof points in our continuing efforts to prioritize environmental impact, take responsible action towards replanting impacted vegetation, and engage with the local community to bring unique learning experiences to students and families. We strive to help create sustainable solutions that bring everybody along.”
Good Wood Nashville
One innovative way Ultium Cells plant staff is mitigating waste is by partnering with GM’s Sustainable Workplaces teams and interior designers to repurpose local oak, cherry, hackberry and beech trees displaced by construction. The team enlisted Nashville small business Good Wood to design unique furniture pieces and wall treatments from the reclaimed wood to be used in common spaces in the new Ultium Cells plant.
“We reached out last year and had Good Wood come to the site to review plans with the team,” said GM Site/Civil Engineer Kaitlyn Miller. “In January, we went to the Good Wood shop and got to see trees being planked to be turned into furniture.”
Good Wood Nashville Founder and CEO Dave Puncochar emphasizes the uniqueness of our relationship.
“When Ultium Cells reached out to help them salvage their trees for one of our "Root to Table" projects, we were very excited,” said Puncochar. “We are huge proponents of limiting waste, incorporating natural elements into spaces, and shopping local. Shopping doesn't get more local than this: getting your conference room table, your entry tables, and your wood art accent walls from the property itself! We are proud to repurpose the trees that had to come down to put them back into the new building. We are proud to team with Ultium Cells on this Initiative.”
But completing a few successful projects is not enough, and Desautels reiterated that we all need to play a part in helping to ensure that environmental considerations are incorporated into creating lasting solutions.
“We are just scratching the surface as we continue to identify ways to do more with less waste and energy expended. We know more work remains, and we’re excited about our potential to do more as we look forward to a better, more inclusive and more sustainable future.”
For Miller, Ultium Cells and GM’s commitment to sustainability at Spring Hill isn’t just business – it's personal.
“I’ve been part of this community for a long time, and I’m proud to work on a team that thinks about these initiatives,” said Miller. “We strive to be inclusive of local communities and always consider the history of a site.”
Job seekers interested in challenging and rewarding careers in battery cell manufacturing can apply for open positions on the Ultium Cells website.
Ultium Cells is a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution that will mass-produce Ultium battery cells to advance the push for a zero-emissions, all-electric future. Ultium Cells will provide battery cell capacity to support GM's North American electric vehicle assembly capacity of more than 1 million units by mid-decade, while supporting GM plans to supply other automotive companies and other industries including rail, aerospace, heavy trucking and marine customers. For more information about Ultium Cells, please visit www.ultiumcell.com.
1Built with globally sourced parts. LYRIQ available first half of 2022.
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