CONNEAUT, Ohio — Graphite One, a Vancouver-based company that specializes in EV battery materials, announced plans to build a $1.4 billion plant in Conneaut Harbor.
City leaders told News 5 the plant is expected to bring approximately 150-160 jobs to the area.
The 200-acre site allows for direct access to Lake Erie, rail connectivity, and has existing power infrastructure already in place.
"For industry of this scale to select Conneaut as a site to grow is huge," Nick Sanford, Conneaut city manager, said. "It's part of the new market economy."
Graphite One originally planned to build the plant in Warren, Ohio, but shifted its plans to Conneaut after determining the Warren site lacked the power infrastructure needed. As a result, the company terminated its lease on the Warren property.
"This site provides the infrastructure, logistics access, and scalability required to support long-term growth," Graphite One Chief Operating Officer Mike Schaffner said in a news release. "It positions the company to efficiently move material and expand production capacity as market demand develops."
The site chosen by Graphite One is well-known to many in the area: U.S. Steel once planned to build the largest steel mill in the world there — a $3 billion project in the 1970's... that never happened.
"This was infrastructure that was built anticipating development that unfortunately never came," Sanford said.
The company said it hopes to complete construction in Conneaut by the end of 2027.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
