Women Who Lead in Manufacturing: Tracy Church of BlueOval SK Battery Plant

For Memphis Business Journal’s next group of Women Who Lead, honoring women who are in high-level roles in the manufacturing industry seemed to be another logical choice.

Each woman chosen by MBJ’s editorial team has qualities that define leadership. Manufacturing has many local specialties, from orthopedics to EV batteries to food and beverages and on to more niche segments.

With that range of goods in mind, MBJ looks to focus attention on a spectrum of women leaders at companies making a multitude of products and offerings for domestic and global markets.

Tracy Church

Plant manager, BlueOval SK Battery Plant

As MBJ readers know, building the massive BlueOval SK Battery Plant is well underway. Once the plant is constructed and equipment installed, Tracy Church will lead the team that runs the plant’s operation while it produces lithium-ion battery cells and modules.

Tracy has loads of experience in the field — she’s been with BlueOval SK for the past two and a half years and spent 27 with Nissan North America, where she enjoyed her biggest career achievement. “I was part of a team that launched an all-new EV battery plant … at a time when there was almost no EV battery production in the U.S.”

With BlueOval SK’s plant expected to launch in 2025, Tracy’s next big professional goal focuses on making sure that’s successful, including ensuring the safety of employees and “producing world-class quality EV batteries at a competitive cost.”

The trend she’s noticed is evolving EV battery technology to meet customers’ needs, while fostering the continuation of electric vehicle adoption