Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI) announced plans to invest more than $70 million in its automotive battery recycling center in Cienega de Flores, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The investment will fund the replacement of the Cienega facility's existing rotary furnaces with larger, more efficient rotary furnaces as well as the addition of proven state-of-the-art environmental control technologies.
"This investment is part of our overall strategy to grow recycling capacity in North America," said Allen Martin, vice president and general manager, Americas for Johnson Controls Power Solutions. "Our continuing upgrades ensure this facility will be among the most environmentally advanced battery recycling operations in the world, reinforcing our commitment to both U.S. and Mexican air emission standards."
Through its investment in the Cienega facility, Johnson Controls strengthens its proven track record in employee health and safety.
"Our recycling operations in Mexico are already well below the current U.S. standard for employee blood lead levels and substantially better than the average performance of competitive U.S. recycling facilities," said Mike Carr, vice president and general manager for Johnson Controls Power Solutions Americas Recycling Business. "With these enhancements to our Cienega facility, we continue to establish industry-leading benchmarks for the safety and health of our employees."
Johnson Controls' Power Solutions business is the world's leading supplier of automotive batteries and a recognized leader in closed-loop, automotive battery recycling. The company has been instrumental in making automotive batteries the most recycled consumer product in the United States.
"Johnson Controls has a long history of manufacturing and recycling batteries safely and responsibly," Martin said. "We are committed to acting responsibly to safely transport and recycle batteries. Furthermore, as a global leader we are committed to continuing to be an industry leader to minimize the impact our industry has on the environment."
In addition to its investments in Mexico, Johnson Controls Power Solutions is also investing in the United States, where it has recently announced the addition of more than 1,000 jobs and the retention of another 400 jobs through its investments in advanced lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, and lead-acid battery recycling.