[Durham INC] IONNA Selects Durham County for Global Headquarters

[Jones, Henry R.]

[A close up of a sign  Description automatically generated]
NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                          Date: 06/11/2024
Contact: Public Information Office                   Phone: (919) 560-0000/Fax: (919) 560-0020
E-mail: publicinformationoffice at dconc.gov<mailto:publicinformationoffice at dconc.gov>

IONNA Selects Durham County for Global Headquarters
Ionna is a Joint Venture of Major Global Automakers (BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, & Stellantis)

Durham, N.C. - Durham County remains a premier location for clean technology and electric vehicle infrastructure. At an event in Downtown Durham today, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that IONNA<https://ionna.com/>, a joint venture of major global automakers, will build a premier world headquarters in Durham County by investing $10.5 million and creating 203 jobs over a five-year period.

"On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I am thrilled to welcome the headquarters of IONNA to Durham County, North Carolina," said Durham County Board of Commissioners Chair Nida Allam. "The future of transportation is electric, and the clean technology and electric charging solutions needed to revolutionize the industry will be developed right here in Durham. We are proud to have worked alongside the Governor and his team to recruit this game-changing project. This is only the beginning."

Durham County Manager Dr. Kimberly J. Sowell added, "Durham County is proud of the longstanding commitment we have made to a more sustainable future, as evidenced by our Renewable Energy Plan<https://www.dconc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/36212/637801776469570000>, and we are thrilled to be part of a partnership with the same objectives. At the local level, we will work with our educational and workforce development partners to ensure that pathways to employment for residents are available and that IONNA is able to meet their workforce needs. Additionally, investments like these are essential to growing our local tax base - which allows for the delivery of more essential services to our Durham residents - while also diversifying and strengthening our economy for the years to come."

A new company founded by seven of the world's leading automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis, IONNA will design, develop, build, and operate a unique, high-powered EV charging station network and customer experience that will key to increased EV adoption in North America. The network will support and be open to electric vehicles of all brands. In addition to corporate functions, IONNA's new state-of-the-art facility will include a customer experience lab for research and development of the software and hardware to create a network of more than 30,000 EV charging points.

Governor Roy Cooper stated, "IONNA's decision to make Durham County its home validates our global reputation for the Electric Vehicle industry. This cutting-edge company and its founding automotive manufacturers will benefit from the innovative ecosystem, highly skilled workforce, and central location of North Carolina to take its pioneering technology to market."

"Our new headquarters will bring synergistic opportunities and collaboration," said Seth Cutler, CEO of IONNA. "Accelerating deployment and innovation within IONNA while contributing positively to the Durham and Triangle area community, paving the way for a prosperous future together."

IONNA's operation in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state's economy by $724 million. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant's reimbursement payments to a given company.

The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to consider a local award to support the JDIG award at a board meeting in either June or July 2024.

"This region of North Carolina - Durham County and our neighboring communities in the Triangle and the Piedmont - is ground zero for clean transportation technology and production," said Economic Development Manager Matthew Filter. "The biggest automotive and electric charging companies in the world are planting their flag in our corner of the world, and it represents a truly transformative opportunity for our communities. We are excited for what the future holds as we continue to expand this growing cluster."

Partnering with Durham County on this project are the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Duke University, North Carolina State University, and Duke Energy.

For more information about this announcement, contact Durham County Economic Development Manager Matthew Filter at mfilter at dconc.gov<mailto:mfilter at dconc.gov>.

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