Published: March 1, 2023 |

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Lee Montgomery, community relations manager
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Ashley Copeland, corporate communications specialist
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Piedmont Lithium has hired its first Tennessee-based employees to support the Tennessee Lithium project. Piedmont announced plans last September to build the 30,000 metric ton per year (tpy) lithium hydroxide operation in the City of Etowah in McMinn County, Tennessee to support domestic production of battery-grade lithium.

Lee Montgomery joins Piedmont Lithium as a community relations manager and Ashley Copeland as a corporate communications specialist. Both Montgomery and Copeland are residents of McMinn County, underscoring Piedmont’s commitment to hiring locally whenever possible.

“We’re excited to welcome our first Tennessee-based employees to the Piedmont team. Lee and Ashley, as valued and active members of Etowah and McMinn County, are well suited to play a critical role in engaging with and informing the community as we advance our Tennessee Lithium project,” said Keith Phillips, president and CEO of Piedmont.

Lee Montgomery joins Piedmont with a background that includes more than 15 years in community relations and more than a decade of experience in managing multiple manufacturing operations. He most recently worked as the district vice president for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, where he significantly increased the branch’s membership and led a number of notable community outreach campaigns. His career includes key leadership roles at DENSO Manufacturing, Crescent Hosiery, and several regional nonprofit organizations. Montgomery earned a graduate degree in organizational management from Tusculum University and an undergraduate degree in accounting from Tennessee Wesleyan University.

Ashley Copeland is an integrated communications professional and content specialist who has worked across a variety of industries including media, government, and higher education. Most recently, she served as the management excellence director for Tennessee Wesleyan University, where she led strategic planning to recruit, market, and enroll undergraduate and graduate students. Her background also includes working as a reporter for The Daily Post-Athenian, where she received multiple distinguished awards. Copeland has a strong academic background with a graduate degree in public relations from Webster University and an undergraduate degree in English from King University.

Piedmont was selected for a $141.7 million grant by the United States Department of Energy for the Tennessee Lithium project in October 2022. The company is currently in the process of negotiating the grant terms. When finalized, the funding is expected to support detailed engineering and orders for the project’s long-lead items.

Tennessee Lithium is being designed as a world-class lithium hydroxide operation that will more than double the total lithium hydroxide production capacity of 20,000 tpy currently available in the U.S. The operation is expected to create 120 new, direct jobs. Construction is targeted to begin in 2023, subject to permitting and project financing, with first production targeted for 2025.

About Piedmont Lithium
Piedmont Lithium is developing a world-class, multi-asset, integrated lithium business focused on enabling the transition to a net zero world and the creation of a clean energy economy in North America. Its goal is to become one of the largest lithium hydroxide producers in North America by processing spodumene concentrate produced from assets where they hold an economic interest. Their projects include Its wholly-owned Carolina Lithium and Tennessee Lithium projects in the United States and partnerships in Quebec with Sayona Mining and in Ghana with Atlantic Lithium. These geographically diversified operations will enable Piedmont to play a pivotal role in supporting America’s move toward decarbonization and the electrification of transportation and energy storage.

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