ST. THOMAS – The area welcomed its newest manufacturing employer last Thursday, along with a $670-million cheque from Premier Doug Ford.
Ford visited St. Thomas to greet Vianode, a Norwegian company that produces synthetic graphite, and announced its $3.2-billion investment. According to chief executive Burkhard Straube, the plant is expected to create 300 jobs when it starts production in 2028, with potential growth to 1,000 positions as operations expand.
Currently, Western electric vehicle battery makers source all their graphite from Asia. This new facility will help make the supply chain independent, which could attract North America’s EV industry to St. Thomas.
“Ontario and Canada have built an impressive auto supply chain, including an ecosystem for lithium-ion batteries,” Straube stated.
“Our investment here in St. Thomas will solve Western, Ontario and Canada challenges and build a resilient supply chain for the G7 in critical minerals, closing the gap in the automotive and EV value chain.”
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