It’s been nearly a year since contractors broke ground on the $4 billion Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant in DeSoto. Construction of the factory is expected to be completed by early 2025. Panasonic officials say the senior leadership team is now in place and 34 engineers have already been hired and are training at the company’s facility near Reno, Nevada.
Panasonic says it expects to start hiring production line staff and other workers in January and February. Those hired will spend much of 2024 training to be ready to run the facility when it opens. Company officials say they are working closely with local community colleges and four-year institutions to create certification programs to teach the skills Panasonic employees will need.
