As the Energizer bunny marches out of Wisconsin, another company is ready to capitalize on the workforce left behind and manufacture - you guessed it - batteries!

Jeff Greene is the CEO of Wisconsin Battery Company. On April 23rd, the company plans to break ground in Portage on a new facility that will use hemp to produce batteries.  Greene tells Pam Jahnke that the first type of battery they'll focus on producing will be those used in hearing aids.  After that, additional lines will be more consumer-type batteries with the end game being targeted at EV batteries for vehicles.  The hemp battery would also be rechargeable.

Greene explains the research he conducted to learn more about the alternate sources to create batteries, and the niche that exists in the marketplace they plan to fill.

Initially the company will acquire 17 acres in a business park in Portage that would be the home of a 85,000 square foot manufacturing facility.