NorthStar Battery announced facility expansion plans

NorthStar Battery has announced its plans to expand its facility in Springfield's Partnership Industrial Center. According to a news release from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, NorthStar will add more than 60,000 square feet to its current 140,000-square-foot building.

The expansion represents a $5.5 million capital investment in the community, and it's expected to create 60 new jobs in the next two years, the release stated. NorthStar will take advantage of state and local programs, including the Missouri Enterprise Zone and the Customized Training Program, for the expansion.

"We are excited that NorthStar Battery is expanding its operations in Springfield," said Kelvin Simmons, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, in the release. "The resulting investment and the creation of dozens of new jobs are important to the city's economy and will help further boost Missouri's economic momentum."

The expansion announcement comes a few months after NorthStar received the Choose Environmental Excellence Award from the chamber for its environmental stewardship, specifically for protection of air and water quality.