Unifrax Announces SiFAB™ Manufacturing Line
15.6.2021 14:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Unifrax, a Buffalo, New York headquartered global manufacturer of high-performance specialty materials, announced plans today to build its first large-scale SiFAB (silicon fiber anode material) manufacturing line at its north central Indiana facility that could add up to 74 new jobs by the end of 2023.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615005391/en/
SiFAB is a proprietary silicon anode battery technology which enables significantly greater energy density in lithium-ion battery systems than prevailing technologies. SiFAB is currently in advanced testing and has shown promising performance in multiple battery systems. The anode technology has successfully been tested with incremental Si loadings of greater than 40%. Along with greater energy density, SiFAB is expected to provide faster charges and longer battery life for applications including electric vehicles, portable electronics, power tools, energy grid storage and aerospace.
Unifrax is uniquely positioned to meet customer demand and develop SiFAB at scale, due to its existing manufacturing plant and infrastructure in New Carlisle. The Indiana plant will be the first to begin building SiFAB long-term manufacturing capacity. The new line is slated to create up to 20 new jobs by the end 2022, with additional growth anticipated by the end of 2023. Unifrax will have more information on open positions later this year on its website.
“SiFAB is the latest development using fiber-based technology to create step change value for customers. This transformational material represents another addition to our robust electric vehicle and battery solutions portfolio,” said John Dandolph, president and CEO, Unifrax. “Unifrax is a large, global manufacturing company introducing game changing advanced silicon anode materials that can be used in existing manufacturing processes. Our track record and proven ability to develop new and unique technologies will help transform the battery industry with SiFAB. The ability to leverage our existing facility and add new infrastructure to support SiFAB manufacturing in New Carlisle will significantly accelerate the timeline for supplying this critical material to our partners. We are appreciative of the ongoing partnership between the state of Indiana and St. Joseph County as we leverage the footprint of our existing facility to bring new jobs and opportunities to the region.”
“We designed SiFAB from its inception to be manufactured at large scale so that we could supply all market segments (EV’s, consumer electronics, power tools, and renewable storage), utilize our existing global manufacturing footprint, and deliver a product that has a high degree of quality and consistency,” said Chad Cannan, senior vice president of research and development, Unifrax.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Unifrax up to $1.1 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired. St. Joseph County has also confirmed $775K in county tax incentives.
“Indiana is a leader in manufacturing, with the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the nation supported by 9,000 facilities across the state," said Jim Staton, interim secretary of commerce for the state of Indiana. “As new trends and technologies change the state of today’s manufacturing industry, Indiana is focused on partnering with forward-thinking companies like Unifrax to propel long-term growth in manufacturing and create quality career opportunities for Hoosiers.”
St. Joseph County Commissioner Andrew Kostielney also added, "The recent announcement by Unifrax is exciting news, not just for St. Joseph County, but for the entire region. Unifrax has long been an important manufacturing leader in the area, and this expansion indicates their commitment to our county for decades to come. Their new SiFAB line will not just create new jobs, it will also showcase the importance of green, sustainable technology."
After more than 75 years of experience in fiber-based technology and manufacturing, Unifrax is taking its first step into developing silicon fiber for the lithium-ion battery manufacturing market. With a decades-long track record of developing and supplying engineered inorganic materials at a large scale to advanced industries worldwide including electric vehicles, aerospace and chemical processing, Unifrax recently debuted two new fiber-based catalysis offerings for the automotive and industrial markets – Eco-lytic™ and FlexCat™.
To learn more about SiFAB, and to request a sample, Unifrax launched a new website introducing SiFAB with technical, manufacturing and application specific information. The new website can be found at sifab.com.
About Unifrax
Unifrax develops and manufactures high performance specialty materials used in advanced applications including high-temperature industrial insulation, electric vehicles, energy storage, filtration, and fire protection, among many others. Unifrax products are designed with the ultimate goal of saving energy, reducing pollution, and improving safety for people, buildings and equipment by delivering on our commitment to our customers of greener, cleaner, safer solutions for their application challenges. Unifrax has 37 manufacturing facilities operating in 12 countries and employs 2,700+ employees globally. More information is available at www.unifrax.com. For updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
About Clearlake
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is a leading investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S. ® The firm’s core target sectors are industrials, technology and consumer. Clearlake currently has approximately $39 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 300 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap.
About IEDC
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts, helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a 15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615005391/en/
Contact information
Media:
Deborah L. Myers (Unifrax) – dmyers@unifrax.com or 716.812.4802
Jennifer Hurson (Clearlake Capital) – jhurson@lambert.com or 845.507.0571
Erin Sweitzer (IEDC) – 317.296.2556 or esweitzer@iedc.in.gov
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
ILiAD Biotechnologies Expands Board of Directors and Appoints Chief Business Officer11.8.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
ILiAD Biotechnologies, Inc. (ILiAD), an advanced clinical stage biotech company focused on the prevention and treatment of disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, today announced the appointments of Jim Wassil, currently Chief Operating Officer at Vaxcyte; Suha Jhaveri, former Strategic Advisor at Cidara before its acquisition by Merck; and Bill Warren, former Global Head of Antigen Design at Sanofi Vaccines, as independent members of ILiAD’s Board of Directors. The Company also announced the appointment of Antony Blanc, former VP, Head of Global Marketing and Global Strategic Pricing at GSK Vaccines, as Chief Business Officer. “Our recently appointed colleagues bring an extraordinary depth of experience in vaccine development, global commercialization, and strategic growth,” said Keith Rubin, MD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ILiAD. “As we advance BPZE1 to the next pivotal phase of ILiAD’s growth, the insights and leadership of Antony, Bill, Jim and Suha will be invaluable in
TEC reduces pressure on support teams with proactive outage communications powered by Adtran and GOCare11.8.2026 15:15:00 EEST | Press release
Adtran and GOCare today announced that Telephone Electronics Corporation (TEC) has improved outage responses and reduced inbound support tickets using GOCare’s OutageIQ solution integrated with Adtran’s outage notification API and Mosaic One. Serving communities across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, TEC delivers fiber broadband services built on a foundation of community investment and reliable service. By combining proactive notifications with real-time network insights, the service provider can now inform customers as issues are detected while equipping support teams with immediate context. This transparency helps build subscriber trust and streamlines operations. “Reliable connectivity is essential for the communities we serve, and clear communication during an outage makes a real difference,” said David Freytag, VP of integration at TEC. “Before this integration, service disruptions could quickly lead to high call volumes, putting pressure on our teams and leaving subscribers
Kinaxis-Sponsored Study Identifies Supply Chain AI Accountability Gap Amidst Rapid Adoption Expectations11.8.2026 15:07:00 EEST | Press release
Kinaxis® (TSX:KXS), a global leader in supply chain orchestration, today announced the findings of new independent research from IDC. The IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Kinaxis, “Making Supply Chain AI Accountable,” reveals a growing chasm between organizations’ aggressive ambitions for autonomous AI adoption and their readiness to hold these advanced systems - which we believe underscores the need for a disciplined approach to AI investment and deployment to prevent costly failures and deliver measurable business value. What This Means for Supply Chain Leaders The IDC InfoBrief, which surveyed more than 2,000 supply chain leaders across nine global markets, found that while AI adoption is nearly universal - only 2% of respondents report no AI-enabled capabilities, and just 12% consider themselves AI leaders. Over half (52%) cite trust in AI-driven decisions as a top barrier to faster adoption, and just 12% say AI planning governance is fully embedded within their operations. The research
One in Four Executives Say AI Errors Have Reached External Audiences or Boards, According to New Research From Workiva11.8.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK), a leading, audit-ready platform for trust, transparency, and accountability, today released findings from its 2026 Midyear Executive Benchmark Survey. Although 84% of surveyed executives say they are at least somewhat confident in the accuracy of AI output without human review, one in four (26%) say internal audits have detected AI errors that reached external audiences or board members. This data suggests there is a disconnect between what executives believe and what evidence shows. As AI reshapes the enterprise at unprecedented speed, a new risk is emerging: transformation could be outpacing the instincts of the leaders tasked with overseeing it. "Confidence in AI without control over data quality is a liability, not a strategy. CFOs need platforms that connect AI to trusted, auditable data so every output is one they can verify and every disclosure is one they can defend," said Barbara Larson, Chief Financial Officer at Workiva. "Getting this right is about
Altasciences Continues to Expand North American Bioanalytical Footprint11.8.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Altasciences today announced a major expansion of its North American bioanalytical laboratory footprint, reinforcing its commitment to helping sponsors accelerate drug development through increased capacity, advanced automation, and harmonized scientific operations. The expansion includes a 4,000-square-foot addition to the company’s laboratory in Greater Montréal, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of Q3 2026. The company has also announced a new 13,000-square-foot purpose-built laboratory in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Construction will proceed in phases, with Phase 1 scheduled for completion in Q1 2027. These investments significantly increase Altasciences' ability to support the growing demand for late-stage clinical bioanalysis while providing sponsors with greater flexibility, scalability, and operational resilience. Designed to support increasingly complex development programs, the expanded laboratories will result in increased capacity to conduct larger studie
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom