Sila appoints plant manager for Moses Lake facility
Sila Nanotechnology’s Moses Lake manufacturing facility at 3741 Road N. N.E, pictured, has a new plant manager. Rosendo Alvarado was appointed to manage the site.
GABRIEL DAVIS/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MOSES LAKE — Sila Nanotechnologies announced Wednesday it has appointed Rosendo Alvarado as the company’s plant manager for its first mass-scale production facility in Moses Lake. Alvarado, a Moses Lake native with over 30 years of industry experience, transitions from his role as head of operations at Sila.
“I’m honored and excited to manage our Moses Lake plant as we scale up to meet the needs of our auto customers and a fully electric future,” Alvarado said in the statement. “I’m committed to ensuring our work in Washington not only advances Sila’s next-generation technology but also strengthens our ties to bring more growth and development to the local community.”
According to the announcement, Alvarado will oversee all aspects of the plant functions in his new role, from staffing and commissioning to orchestrating operations and engineering support. Alvarado worked at REC Silicon for 26 years, where he managed the REC Butte facility and gained extensive experience in commissioning new technology and plant startup operations at the REC Moses Lake facility, said the statement.
“Rosendo has deep industry knowledge and a strong understanding of the industrial manufacturing sector that will be pivotal to Sila’s evolution,” Sila Vice President of Operations Chris Dougher said in the announcement. “His operationally-driven approach and commitment to safety and quality will enable us to stay on track to begin production in 2025, meet the growing demands of the EV industry, and ensure the U.S. can lead in the energy transition.”
According to the statement, the plant is on track to begin production of its Titan Silicon anode in 2025, and the company expects to hire 100 to 500-plus full-time employees as it continues to grow its operations in Moses Lake. The announcement said Sila is working with local high schools, vocational training programs and community colleges to train and recruit talent.
Founded in 2011, Sila is a battery materials company with the mission to power the world’s transition to clean energy, according to the announcement.