European smart battery manufacturer to open North American HQ in Hilliard
A French company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of smart battery systems is to open its North American headquarters in Hilliard.
Forsee Power is to lease property at 4555 Lyman Drive, a site that was formerly occupied by Highlights for Children, Inc.
The company has reportedly committed to hiring 150 employees with a payroll of approximately $9 million, according to a press release announcing the company’s Hilliard headquarters.
The announcement was made June 27 in Washington D.C. at the Select USA Summit, an event hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration to promote foreign direct investment to the United States, according to David Ball, director of community relations for Hilliard.
The new site is to host corporate office space, manufacturing operations and research-and-development efforts.
Hilliard desires to attract and grow high-wage jobs and create public-private sector partnerships as part of the ‘Hilliard City Lab’ program, said David Meadows, director of development for Hilliard.
“Forsee Power is doing exactly that with its innovative work in public transportation. Forsee Power is already a major player in Europe, Asia and North America and we’re excited they’ve selected Hilliard as they build their U.S. customer base,” Meadows said.
Forsee Power designs, assembles and supplies energy management systems based on the most robust cells available on the market, as well as provides installation, commissioning and on-site or remote maintenance, according to a company press release.
Their applications are used in autonomous vehicles and robotics, light urban utility vehicles, bus, truck, rail and marine. The company aims to target the growing commercial vehicle market – primarily buses, school buses, trains and off-highway vehicles, according to the press release.
Christopher Gurtner, chairman and CEO of Forsee Power, said central Ohio was a “right fit” for the company.
“We found in central Ohio the right ecosystem of potential supply chain partners, academic partners, and a right fit for the workforce as we are looking at hiring production operators, research and development engineers, and a full leadership team to run North America activity,” Gurtner had stated in a press release.
kcorvo@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekCorvo
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: European smart battery manufacturer to open North American HQ in Hilliard
