Billion-dollar plant breaks ground in Mississippi

MARSHALL CO., Miss. — A vehicle battery production facility held a groundbreaking near Byhalia, Mississippi, Friday.

Amplify Cell Technologies broke ground on Curl Road in Byhalia in Marshall County.

“Amplify’s purpose is to manufacture cutting-edge battery technology to power zero-emission trucks across all of America,” CEO Kel Kearns said.

Amplify’s joint venture with three commercial vehicle manufacturers—Daimler Truck, Accelera by Cummins, and PACCAR—is a billion-plus dollar investment in Mississippi and promises to boost employment and economic growth in Marshall County.

“Two thousand, good-paying, full-time jobs. A hundred and thirty million dollars in payroll. It’s going to be paid out to our people every single year,” Governor Tate Reeves said.

The payroll for those jobs could average $65,000 a year, which is exciting news for Marshall County’s leaders.

“That will support future growth. It’s a generational impact that will improve the lives of citizens in Marshall County and the surrounding areas,” said Charles Terry with the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.

Reeves praised the economic development strides Mississippi is making.

“We’ve never had a project over $1.5 billion announced in our state ever, and over a 15-month period we had not one, not two, but three,” Reeves said.

He added that Friday’s groundbreaking is proof that Mississippi is on a winning streak.

“We can compete with anyone, anywhere in the world for these types of projects,” Reeves said.

They expect as many as three thousand workers will be involved in construction. Production is scheduled to start in 2027.

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