Canadian battery producer UgoWork has opened an assembly plant in the United States, expanding its capacity and making it easier for the company to respond to shifting trade conditions.
UgoWork specializes in lithium-ion energy solutions for material handling operations, providing batteries and services for Class I, II, and III lift trucks. The company will assemble batteries in the Chicago-area plant with both domestic and foreign components, allowing it to “remain price competitive while complying with evolving industrial sourcing policies,” according to a company statement released Tuesday. The operation will increase production flexibility, reduce lead times, lower shipping costs and variability, and provide UgoWork’s U.S. customers with local service and support.
Company leaders said U.S. expansion was a long-term strategy that has been accelerated by tariffs and changing trade regulations between the United States and Canada.
“Scaling up our assembly operations to the U.S. was the next logical step for UgoWork,” company President Philippe Beauchamp said in the statement. “We’re building serious traction with fleet operations across the country, and this move allows us to raise production capacity, stay closer to our clients, and comply with U.S. manufacturing guidelines. We’ve always planned for this, but recent market conditions simply accelerated our timeline. By initiating this next phase, we’re looking forward to creating even more jobs and we will continue to deliver the quality and innovation our customers expect.”
UgoWork did not specify how many jobs it expects to add to the local community.
