De Soto, KS
CLIENT: SSOE Group
OWNER: Panasonic
Panasonic Energy Co. broke ground for their new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas, in November 2022. This facility in the Astra Enterprise Park will position the state of Kansas as a major player in the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry.
Sain partnered with SSOE Group as a part of their staff augmentation in civil engineering. Due to the sheer size of this project, it was an all-hands-on-deck project that required revisiting site designs during construction to ensure that all requirements were met.
As Sain’s largest civil engineering project to date, there were many unique attributes that proved a challenge. Not only did our team interface with partners across the United States, but we also had a large part of the design process interacting with the team in Japan. One benefit of working across multiple time zones was the ability to send a site design update by the close of business in the United States and having the team in Japan provide feedback overnight. This allowed for seamless collaboration when meeting tight deadlines.
Our Traffic team also provided transportation planning support for the project. In addition to coordinating site access, the team reviewed design plans for the state-funded transportation improvement projects adjacent to the site. Sain is also participating in transit service planning efforts.
Additionally, a project of this magnitude was made easier with virtual meetings. While it can feel like “herding sheep” when so many groups are working together, the ability to meet virtually to discuss action items in real-time made all the difference.
Sain is proud to have been a part of this project that will lead to economic growth in Kansas and the expansion of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The project construction is estimated to be completed in 2025.