Growing up, Devante Cuthbertson thought he would leave his hometown of Greensboro to forge a career. But Toyota’s decision to build a $14 billion electric vehicle battery plant nearby has given the former machine operator renewed ambition to study to be a technician and join the auto company. A new “battery belt” is taking shape across the southeast as President Joe Biden pushes to rebuild US manufacturing and win blue-collar votes.
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00:00But it's just the thought of, okay, maybe I can't find a job that I want here, so maybe
00:27I'll go somewhere else and see what a different state or a different country has to offer.
00:31And so I think that with Toyota being here in North Carolina, it is bringing in a lot
01:07I used to be up up Holister.
01:09As you know, North Carolina is known as the capital of furniture, and hearing something
01:15as big as Toyota starting their battery plant is, it sounds like a really good opportunity
01:23compared to what we have right now.
01:36It's the ninth populated state.
02:00The talent pipeline, the colleges and universities here have top talent.
02:04The leadership of this state's been amazing, and I think residents are excited about fresh
02:11new.
02:12And what they also know is we're not dark, dirty, and dangerous.