BlueOval SK
As design-build contractor, Barton Malow partnered with Gray Construction to deliver two mammoth battery plants in Glendale, Kentucky. The facilities, totaling 9 million SF under roof were built on BlueOval SK Battery Park Kentucky’s 1,500-acre campus.
The project included 1.8 million square feet of highly controlled cleanroom space across two floors, along with essential outbuildings for hazardous storage, waste management, security, and testing. Construction began in early 2022 and reached substantial completion in February 2025, meeting an aggressive speed-to-market schedule for a project of unprecedented scale and technical complexity.
Barton Malow’s disciplined planning and collaborative execution enabled the team to achieve critical milestones, including the first concrete placement in August 2022, the first steel column ahead of schedule in October 2022, and cleanroom certification by July 2024. At peak, 4,700 craft professionals were engaged on site, supported by advanced scheduling, earned value management, and real-time coordination across trades. The team moved 4.3 million cubic yards of soil, laid 283,000 tons of stone, poured 66,000 cubic yards of concrete, and erected over 40,000 tons of steel, all while staying under budget.
The project reflects Barton Malow’s established leadership and long-standing experience in automotive manufacturing and electric vehicle infrastructure, reinforcing a commitment to safety, quality, and community impact. Beyond construction, the team partnered with local organizations to support food insecurity relief, park revitalization, workforce development, and environmental stewardship, leaving a lasting positive impact on the region.
In 2025, the GE2 plant was awarded The Association of Union Constructors’ (TAUC) Joseph R. La Rocca Project of the Year Award in the “Above $50 Million” category. The award recognizes outstanding work performed under labor-management cooperation, specifically pertaining to collaboration and teamwork, quality and craftsmanship, execution, and safety.
The park is part of Ford and SK On’s $5.8 billion manufacturing investment in bringing EVs at scale to American consumers — the single largest at one time by any automaker in the nation.
