Construction momentum has stalled at one of the Midwest’s biggest clean-energy projects — the more than $3 billion GM and Samsung SDI battery plant rising in New Carlisle, Indiana — leading to new labor challenges for the contractor.
Towering steel frames mark progress on the joint-venture facility, but crews are now facing an unexpected slowdown as the project enters what developers are calling a “recalibration period.”
Barton Malow, the Michigan-based general contractor running the build, confirmed the workforce cuts in a statement.
“We can confirm that we recently had to lay off some of our workforce on the New Carlisle, Indiana, project,” the firm said in a statement sent to Construction Dive. “As the largest trade contractor in the state of Michigan, layoffs are an unfortunate part of the natural ebb and flow of the construction business.”
The plant involves two massive battery cell structures valued at $875 million and $855 million — among the largest industrial construction starts in the U.S. this year, per Dodge Construction Network.
GM and Samsung SDI selected the Indiana location in mid-2023, originally aiming for battery production by 2026 to support GM’s goal of 1 million electric vehicles annually in North America. The factory will produce nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells for next-generation EVs.
But the pace has shifted as global EV demand cools. Crews had finished major structural work before the slowdown, according to reporting by GM Authority.
Local officials say Samsung is now reviewing key design modifications for production equipment — a move that temporarily limits construction sequencing. That review process can take months.
Bill Schalliol, St. Joseph County’s economic development director, said Barton Malow has reassigned some workers to other jobs while design changes are finalized. Despite delays, GM still expects construction completion by December 2027, extending the schedule significantly compared with earlier projections.
This pause reflects a broader pattern in large-scale U.S. manufacturing:
ProjectStatusReasonKore Power Arizona battery plantHaltedPending DOE loan fundingIntel Ohio One mega-fabDelayedHigher costs, soft chip demand
With evolving economics and shifting federal incentives, major clean-tech developers are reevaluating deployment strategies.
Even with layoffs, the contractor signaled confidence in the long-term viability of the Indiana plant.
“We recognize the impact it has on our team members and their families,” Barton Malow said in the statement. “[We] commit to supporting them through this transition and working to get them back onto this or another project shortly.”
Estimated hundreds of construction jobs were tied to peak phases of the project
The plant is expected to bring 1,600+ permanent jobs once operational
The facility supports U.S. ambitions to localize EV battery supply chains
Consumer adoption has slowed, delaying automakers' battery rollout timelines
State and local leaders continue to back the project, citing its long-term benefits to the region’s manufacturing resurgence.
Originally reported by Sebastian Obando in Construction Dive.
