Wildcat announces Jack Leunig and Larry Beck to advance manufacturing strategy

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Mar 13, 2024, 09:05 ET

Strategic hires will accelerate plans for U.S.-made cathodes to compete with China

Broad experience strengthens lithium-ion materials development and production

SAN DIEGO, March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Battery materials pioneer Wildcat Discovery Technologies today announced two renowned chemical materials production leaders to advance the scale-up and operations of the company's new manufacturing capability. Jack Leunig joins as Chief Operating Officer, and Larry Beck has been retained as a Senior Advisor.

Wildcat announced in December plans to produce cathode materials in the United States, increasing supply chain stability for customers and bringing more manufacturing capacity and jobs to the U.S. The company is on track to supply lithium iron phosphate (LFP) in late 2026, lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) in 2027, and disordered rock salt (DRX) in 2028.

Leunig joins Wildcat with deep operations leadership experience in chemical and materials manufacturing. As SVP for operations at Compass Minerals, he led all engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and mining operations. Previously, he held operations and engineering leadership positions at GE, Allied-Signal, Honeywell, Johns Manville, and Great Lakes Chemical.

Larry Beck, PhD, is a leading innovator in lithium-ion battery development and optimization, and he advises companies globally on energy storage. Building on his extensive experience as the lead scientist for cathode materials at A123 Systems in the U.S. and China, Beck will focus on Wildcat's development and scale up of LFP.

"We are thrilled Jack and Larry are working with us. Wildcat's mission is to produce high-performance U.S.-made cathodes to enable widespread adoption of clean energy, and Jack and Larry bring deep experience to advance our manufacturing strategy," said Wildcat President and CEO Mark Gresser. "It's time to help our customers by closing the gap with China on cathode materials production, and Wildcat has the leadership team and 15 years of experience to make it happen."

"Wildcat is a proven innovator with a manufacturing-savvy leadership team and a tremendous opportunity for U.S.-based growth. I look forward to working with them to open the plant and build the overall U.S. capacity for cathode materials production," said Leunig.

"The market is wide open to increase cathode materials production in the U.S., and I am excited to be part of the bold Wildcat strategy that vehicle manufacturers and battery cell producers have been searching for. I trust Wildcat's leadership and science, and the company is poised to be a game changer," said Beck.

About Wildcat Discovery Technologies

Wildcat's mission is to produce high-performance U.S.-made cathodes to enable widespread adoption of clean energy. Founded in 2006, the company plans to manufacture a portfolio of nickel- and cobalt-free cathode materials at a plant it builds in the United States. Customers will have access to LFP, LMFP, and DRX materials produced at the plant. At the same time, Wildcat will continue to leverage its 15 years of materials development to help customers achieve the best integrated battery cell.

Wildcat's vision is to be the first choice for battery materials development, integration, and supply. In addition to production, the company's unique high throughput platform enables comprehensive materials experiments to be done 10 times faster than conventional methods. In collaboration with 80 companies, Wildcat has optimized solutions for battery components in 225 projects and 400,000 experiments spanning multiple industries. Wildcat was named one of the "50 Most Innovative Companies" by Technology Review magazine. For additional information, visit us at wildcatdiscovery.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Wildcat Discovery Technologies