Slate Auto has already moved into the historic R.R. Donnelley factory in Warsaw, where demolition is underway to prepare the site for electric-vehicle production.
On Thursday, the company hosted an event at the plant to show invited guests what has been accomplished so far and to share its plans for the future.
“We will re-industrialize the site to house everything from battery-pack assembly to seat manufacturing and general assembly,” said Slate CCO Jeremy Snyder during his remarks. “We hope that the space where we are meeting today will be our customer-experience center, where customers will be able to visit, interact with us, take a test drive, purchase and drive their new Slate truck home.”
Slate plans to invest nearly $400 million into the facility and projects that over 20 years, the factory will contribute $39 billion to Indiana’s economy. The company expects to create more than 2,100 full-time jobs in Kosciusko County.
Slate CEO Chris Barman is a fifth-generation Hoosier. She said, “So as we evaluated different sites and we started with 11 different states as we narrowed it down. The 1.4 million square feet was around the size we needed.”
She added: “So we’ll employ a little over 2,000 people when we’re up and fully operational. Those will be full-time jobs. We’ll be working on a two-shift, three-crew pattern when we’re here.”
Barman emphasized Slate’s simplified manufacturing model, calling it the “Blank Slate” concept: a single configuration truck with just over 600 parts, approximately 10% of the parts used in a typical truck. There will be no paint shop, stamping, options or trim levels, just a base vehicle that customers can customize with accessories later. The truck will retail in the mid-$20,000s, with accessories available at purchase or afterward.
Congressman Rudy Yakym praised the investment and tied it to federal manufacturing incentives. “Slate Auto is investing $383.5 million right here in Indiana. They’ll be creating more than 2,100 jobs and sparking new opportunities,” Yakym said.
Warsaw Mayor Jeff R. Grose also spoke, describing the moment as both personal and historic. “The rain this morning is part of this very electrifying event, washing away an incredible history and impact that this plant has had on this community. But this place isn’t done yet,” Grose said, noting his father once worked at Donnelley. “The rain washed that away and allows us to provide a blank slate for this automobile company to create its own incredible history.”
Slate also honored the late County Council President Mike Long, who helped bring the project to Warsaw. The company announced plans to create a memorial space for Long inside the factory.
Attendees toured the facility to see the early stages of demolition and retooling. They also viewed a prototype SUV wrapped for the occasion, a truck that began as a “Blank Slate," before gathering for lunch.
Slate expects to be in full production by the end of next year, with a ribbon-cutting to mark the official launch.
