A123 To Mark 1,000th Michigan Hire

Massachusetts-based A123 Systems plans to celebrate hiring its 1,000th Michigan employee Monday.

Scheduled to attend are United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) and A123 CEO David Vieau.

They're scheduled to mark the occasion in a noon press conference, after a tour of the A123 Systems battery plant in Romulus.

A123 Systems makes advanced Lithium Ion batteries for electric vehicles. Thanks in large part to a $249 million grant it received as part of the Recovery Act to start manufacturing batteries and packs for electric vehicles, A123 Systems recently hired its 1,000th employee in Michigan. The Department of Energy's support for A123 Systems is part of the Obama Administration's effort to help make the American auto industry more competitive and create the high-tech jobs of tomorrow here at home.

While in the Detroit area, Secretary Chu will also deliver a keynote address at an advanced vehicle power technology workshop being jointly hosted by the Department of Energy and the Department of the Army at NextEnergy's office in Detroit.