Glendale's $5.8 billion BlueOval SK plant creating opportunity, challenges for nearby cities

GLENDALE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If you've driven down Interstate 65 in the last year, you've seen a massive transformation in Glendale as construction surges on to build BlueOval SK's $5.8 billion plant. The facility will manufacture batteries for electric vehicles, but BlueOval is now hiring 5,000 people for a myriad of different positions, something that creates both excitement and challenges for nearby cities.

JJ Duvall, the mayor of nearby Radcliff, Kentucky, said his city and several nearby are being considered for warehouses building parts that would be shipped to Glendale, where land is already becoming scarce.

"Because of the spin-off opportunities coming with this huge growth in Glendale, a lot of our communities are seeing growth due to the fact that land availability closer to the plant is getting smaller and smaller," Duvall said.

BlueOval SK Construction — The plant in Glendale, Kentucky, is expected to open in 2025. July 18, 2023. *(WDRB Photo)*

Recently, business owners from South Korea were in Hardin County looking at more sites. Duvall said Blue Oval SK is planning on temporarily moving hundreds of workers to Glendale in November to help with the plant construction, but the area will not have enough housing in time.

"We recently had a group come that is looking for 50 units to put multiple workers in," Duvall said. "That number is just not available."

There are a variety of positions available, including security specialist, translator, compensation manager, internal auditor, production team manager, fire safety engineer, human resources business partner, payroll specialist, manufacturing engineer, IT cyber security specialist and more.

To apply for jobs at BlueOval SK, click here.

"To have this plant, as one of the largest in the nation, located just 30 minutes from us, we’re starting to see a lot of those spin-off suppliers come here to our community," Duvall said.

Ford said the batteries made at the Glendale 1,500-acre plant — in partnership with SK Innovation — will go into both Ford and Lincoln vehicles made at the company's assembly plants in North America. It's expected to open in 2025, and Ford expects at least 40% of global sales to be electric vehicles by 2030.

"It’s an economic generator that has helped everyone here in our community," Duvall said. "So we are not only happy to see it here but we are working through some of the heartaches to get where we need to be."

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