Joplin company marks milestone, announces $10M facility

EP marked the milestone this morning with an employee appreciation event. The space pioneers are scheduled to appear at a gala scheduled for tonight.

“This is a great day for our team,” said Steve Westfall, president and CEO. “We have provided the power source for such things as the Mars Missions, the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station.”

While it has taken the company 29 years to reach 1 billion hours, officials expect to reach 2 billion in less than three additional years because of the thousands of batteries currently in operation.

Westfall noted that the Space Shuttle Atlantis, currently docked at the International Space Station, used 912 cells to aid in the construction of the station.

EP also used the occasion today to announce the construction of a $10 million, 24,000-square-foot Lithium-Ion cell and battery development and production facility at the Crossroads Industrial Park in Joplin. The cells will be used by the U.S. military.

“Li-Ion technology is known to provide higher energy levels and longer cycle life at low weight and in smaller volumes than lead-acid, nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride batteries,” Westfall said.

Columbus, Kan.-based Crossland Construction Company Inc. will build the facility. The building is scheduled for completion by Dec. 29, with production to begin by the fourth quarter of 2007, Westfall said. As many as 100 new employees could be hired in the next five years, he said.

David Haut is a reporter for Joplin Tri-State Business, Springfield Business Journal’s sister publication. He may be reached at joplinnews@joplintsb.com. See JTB’s Sept. 25 issue for more on this story.