The MAJOR Campus is a significant investment for the Marshall community and the region with the construction of a new fire station, expanded water and wastewater infrastructure, additional protections of our lakes, rivers and streams, and new recreational opportunities.
BlueOval Battery Park Michigan
The BlueOval Battery Park Michigan and the Marshall Area Jobs, Opportunity, and Recreation (MAJOR) campus represents a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity to create thousands of jobs and spark billions in investment for the…
Construction
About the exciting opportunity at the MAJOR Campus to create local jobs and attract future investment.
Reports, Surveys, & Assessments
View our collection of assessments, surveys, and reports regarding the MAJOR Campus area and BlueOval Battery Park.
Workforce Development
Marshall has a variety of training and workforce education programs available in the city to create fulfilling careers.
Preservation & Recreation
MAEDA is committed to preserving Marshall's historic image and bringing recreation opportunities to the community.
Pictured above: A map of sections on the 2,000-acre MAJOR Campus
Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park Michigan is first business announced for MAJOR Campus, on track to create 1,700 local jobs.
Construction of the facility is in full swing with hundreds of workers in and around the site, providing an incredible economic boost to the community. Hundreds of construction workers are visiting area businesses and dining at local restaurants.
Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park Michigan is expected to begin producing batteries for electric vehicles in 2026. It is located on 500 acres of the Marshall Area Jobs, Opportunities and Recreation (MAJOR) Campus, which has 2,000 acres for future businesses.
Ford is committed to being a good neighbor and recently announced a $25,000 donation to the city of Marshall to support its efforts to plant new trees throughout the city to earn Tree City USA recognition once again.
Jobs and People: Creating 1,700 new high-paying manufacturing jobs to replace the 2,000 jobs lost over the past 30 years with the closing of Eaton, State Farm, and other companies. New jobs means millions of dollars in new personal income in the community, new customers for businesses, new middle class families paying local taxes and more.
New Tax Revenues: The City of Marshall is estimated to receive more than $2 million annually when BlueOval Battery Park Michigan is up and running. This means new funding for public safety including police and fire to keep us safe, new funding for parks, roads and other city services. Without Blue Oval, this property would generate zero tax revenue for City of Marshall. Of the tax revenue generated, Marshall Township will receive an estimated $383,000 annually, which is significantly more than the $21,000 it received from that property prior to BlueOval’s construction. In addition our local schools, libraries, and the ambulance authority among other entities, will receive significant net revenue gains because of the Ford Blue Oval facility.
More Green Space: In addition to jobs and tax revenue, our community will be able to take advantage of an additional 500 acres of green space with the development of the MAJOR Campus. This includes a conservation easement and community parks. Plans are being developed to create a recreational trail to run along the Kalamazoo River on the southern border of the MAJOR Campus that will connect to the North Country Trail.
Historical Preservation & New Community Amenities: We are also excited to announce that Bear Creek will be preserved and repurposed into a living museum and nature center. It will be a new place for community events, activities and education focused on preservation, conservation and education. And it will be a new tourism draw for Marshall.
JOIN US! Email MAJOR@choosemarshall.com to be part of workgroup discussions and implement projects to promote Campus development and activities. We are looking for volunteers interested in preservation, conservation and education.
View our frequently asked questions based on the myths and facts surrounding the MAJOR Campus development.
View all the Myths & Facts at a glance by downloading the PDF.
FACT: Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) are confidentiality agreements that are commonplace in commercial transactions, usually to protect the proprietary information of a company from competitors. In the context of economic development transactions, NDAs are frequently used during project negotiations because these discussions involve sharing critical information about the company, such as the nature, size and scope of the product it is manufacturing and the critical infrastructure needs of the production facility. Policymakers and elected officials from both parties routinely sign NDAs, most recently Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Republican legislators in Mississippi, who signed NDAs before voting to approve a new battery facility in their state.
FACT: Michigan is home to 300 different agricultural products, and Michiganders understand and value the importance of agriculture to our economy, history and culture. We have seen first hand that communities can increase economic opportunities while preserving and respecting our deep agricultural roots. Michigan is home to 10 million acres of farmland and more than 3 million of those acres are under permanent farmland preservation agreements. In 2021, the state had a record high $2.5 billion in food and agriculture exports sold abroad.
Blue Oval Battery Park Michigan will be built on 950 acres of land, which is just a fraction of the available agricultural land in Michigan.
FACT: Any suggestion that the battery production plant would involve the transfer of national security sensitive technology is false. There will be no transfer of technology from Ford to CATL. The battery production plant will be a Ford wholly owned subsidiary and is controlled by Ford. CATL, which is a leader in LFP battery technology and an existing supplier to Ford and other global automakers, will license LFP-related technology and provide services to the plant on a contractual basis to assist in Ford's production of LFP batteries. The project will expand U.S. domestic capacity to produce electric vehicle batteries, diversify supply chains, and onshore important aspects of the battery value chain to North America.
The future is going to be driven by EV technology and batteries and Michigan is poised to lead in this critical space. We are proud to have the Marshall area play an important role in this developing technology and we’re proud to help bring our supply chain back home and manufacture the vehicles of the future right here in Michigan. We're very confident that the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan will allow us to create jobs, be a leader in EV technology, reduce our reliance on foreign manufacturing and protect our national security.
FACT: Ford has aggressive sustainability goals that includes its pledge to becoming carbon neutral globally by 2050. On the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan project, the company has committed to protecting 245 acres at the southern edge of the site along the Kalamazoo River for a conservation easement. It is intended to be "preserved for future generations to come," and the Ford Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, will contribute resources to help the community explore how to best enjoy this beautiful land.
An environmentally conscious planning approach is at the forefront of the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan. The Ford battery plant will be regulated by federal and state regulators, including the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Every phase of development will be subject to the state’s environmental regulatory and permitting processes and considerations.
FACT: There is growing local support for investment in and development of this area because it will create jobs, raise property values and pump millions of dollars into local small businesses. Public input has been and will continue to be a key part of the process from community forums, public meetings and town halls.
FACT: All property acquisitions made for this project have been done voluntarily through negotiations with local landowners. Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA) does not have the power to use eminent domain to acquire property.
FACT: The development will be a magnet for billions of dollars of new capital investment into our region, funding road improvements and infrastructure projects, which will help improve the overall quality of life in the area. A payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT)/municipal services agreement will be in place to absorb any potential utility cost increases to taxpayers and our research shows the project will not increase taxes for residents in Marshall Township and the City of Marshall.
FACT: We strongly believe it is possible to leverage new economic opportunities while preserving our way of life in southwest Michigan with our distinctive character and our agricultural roots and history to make this project truly a “win-win.” This one-of-a-kind opportunity must be balanced with our shared desire to preserve our unique culture and way of life, rural character, and vibrant downtown with its charming shops, restaurants and sycamore tree-lined streets. Ford is committed to being a good neighbor and keeping the surrounding community informed of progress and any details that may affect their surroundings.
