HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Mark Fern with Ascend Elements gave updates about the 1 million square foot chemical plant being built in Hopkinsville during the Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council meeting on Oct. 28.
As the site manager for the massive facility, Fern shared with the present board members that they have made significant and visible progress since breaking ground about a year ago. He stated that a good portion of the exterior construction on Apex 1 is complete, with crews starting to focus more on internal design and construction. The current footprint allows them ample space to expand in the future.
Since breaking ground, Ascend has invested about $1 billion in the community by hiring local contractors and labor, according to Fern. During early phases, they at times had upward of 1,000 workers on site. While the inner workings of the facility are fairly complex including boilers, compressors, and a substation, Fern told board members that he believes they will be fully operational in 2025.
Put simply, the facility in Hopkinsville will be creating the chemical compound that is inside batteries by transforming black matter. Upon opening, there will be approximately 400 jobs available.
As they near a potential opening date, the company is focusing their efforts on recruitment. According to Fern, they are working closely with Hopkinsville Community College to recruit and train students. Since working at this type of facility includes a skill set that is not often taught in this region, Ascend Elements has plans to essentially create a miniature chemical plant at the college and develop self-sustaining programs to further train interested students. Due to the nature of the work, employees can spend upward of a year in onsite training after they are hired.
Ascend has already imbedded themselves into the community in Hopkinsville by partnering with the school system on the MLK Inspire Early Learning Center, and in their workforce development. They are also hoping to work with local public transportation to ensure workers have a reliable means to access the facility throughout the county.
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