Alerts
Alerts are how verified signals reach DRP/GEM staff: one company, one signal, why it matters for the 11-county Detroit Region, a recommended action, and the full source trail. Drafts only — in the production workflow nothing is sent to a company without DRP approval.
SK On — Tennessee battery plant changes hands in Ford JV dissolution; new site decisions ahead
Company: SK On (BlueOval SK) (fit score 92/100) · HQ: Seoul, South Korea · Technology area: Propulsion Batteries
The signal
Commercial battery production officially began at the BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky on August 19, 2025 — a $5.8 billion Ford/SK On investment planned for 5,000 jobs, with 1,450 already filled at production start.
Follow-on development: in December 2025 Ford and SK On agreed to dissolve the BlueOval SK joint venture; a Ford subsidiary takes the Kentucky plants and SK On assumes full ownership and operation of the Tennessee plant, with reporting that the Tennessee site is being oriented toward energy-storage systems. (Manufacturing Dive, March 23, 2026.)
Why it matters for the 11-county Detroit Region
- An ownership transition is the single best moment to open a site conversation: the new sole owner must re-decide suppliers, services, engineering support and any next-phase capacity.
- SK On's pivot toward energy-storage systems widens the addressable project beyond EV cells — storage manufacturing and its supply chain are squarely inside GEM's mandate.
- Southeast Michigan holds the densest battery engineering, tooling and automation workforce in North America — including automation suppliers in this very dataset (Comau in Southfield, FANUC America in Oakland County) — a concrete co-location and supplier-recruitment story, not a generic incentive pitch.
- Ford remains SK On's anchor customer context, and Ford's home region is Detroit: relationships, logistics and engineering support all run through the 11 counties.
Recommended action
- DRP/GEM leadership outreach to SK On's North America team within 10 business days, framed on the Tennessee transition and next-phase supplier needs.
- Prepare a one-page Detroit Region brief: battery/automation supplier depth, engineering workforce, and available sites for storage-system production support.
- Flag for the watchlist: any SK On Tennessee hiring, permitting or supplier-RFQ signals — the system re-scores the profile automatically when a new signal lands.
Sources
2. Manufacturing Dive — Ford/SK On JV dissolution and Tennessee plant transfer — 2026-03-23. Read the source →
Comau — growing its battery-automation business from Southfield, Michigan
Company: Comau (fit score 80/100) · HQ: Turin, Italy · Technology area: Assembly Automation
The signal
In October 2025 Comau deepened its US battery-automation push: it took an equity stake in Michigan-based Intecells to commercialize cold-plasma electrode manufacturing, and showcased its Cell-to-Pack Laser Welding Cell developed in Southfield, Michigan at The Battery Show Detroit.
Why it matters for the 11-county Detroit Region
Comau is already building its North American battery-automation business from inside the region. Retention-and-expansion wins with in-region engineering employers are the fastest, cheapest wins in economic development — and every gigafactory program Comau serves pulls Detroit Region tooling, integration and controls talent with it.
Recommended action
- Schedule a BRE (business retention & expansion) visit with Comau's Southfield leadership this quarter.
- Connect Comau to GEM's automation-cluster programming and workforce partners before its next hiring wave.
BorgWarner — Auburn Hills HQ supplier building new capacity out of state
Company: BorgWarner (fit score 84/100) · HQ: Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA · Technology areas: E-Motors · Power Electronics
The signal
On October 28, 2025 BorgWarner announced a minimum $74.9 million investment in a new 220,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility in Hendersonville, North Carolina, creating 193 jobs — its second North Carolina site.
Why it matters for the 11-county Detroit Region
When a hometown-headquartered supplier sites growth elsewhere, the region's job is to be first in line for the next program. BorgWarner's e-motor and integrated-drive-module awards keep coming; a structured HQ relationship is how Detroit stays on the shortlist for the next plant.
Recommended action
- HQ-level check-in through existing DRP relationships; learn the site criteria that decided Hendersonville.
- Keep BorgWarner on the scored watchlist — any new program award re-triggers an alert.