American Battery is building a strong foundation to play the lithium long game

Advancing lithium-ion battery recycling plant Also covers extraction and resource production Extensive mineral resources in Nevada What American Battery Metals does: American Battery Metals Corporation (OTCMKTS:ABML), soon to be known as American Battery Technology Company, is an American-owned lithium-ion battery recycling technology and advanced extraction company with extensive mineral resources in Nevada. The company is focused on its lithium-ion battery recycling and resource production projects in the state, with the goal of becoming a substantial domestic supplier of battery metals to the rapidly growing electric vehicle and battery storage markets. American Battery puts a great emphasis on the first word in its name. It says it is eagerly willing to work with other companies mining for battery metals in Nevada and in North America because it understands the importance of the US breaking free of reliance on foreign sources of critical materials. It believes that working together with industry partners and competitors is good for the home team, so to speak, and good for the global market. Doug Cole has led American Battery since 2017. He is a partner with Objective Equity LLC, a boutique investment bank focused on technology, data and mining, and in 2019 he was awarded the Patriot Award from the Nevada committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and Secretary of Defense. How is it doing: American Battery has had a busy time so far in 2021 as it progresses its lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Fernley, Nevada. In the latest news, on July 8, American Battery told investors that the mass grading permit for the proposed recycling pilot plant was approved by the City of Fernley, marking another step closer to the start of construction.  The company said once its core/shell building permit is approved, it will commence grading at the site. Timing will depend on the review and approval process by the city, it added. American Battery is working with its design-build general contractor Miles Construction and architectural firm BJG Inc on the design and construction of the plant and storage facility. On June 17, American Battery announced that it had received unanimous approval from the Fernley City Council for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) regarding the recycling plant.  Away from Fernley, but still in Nevada, on July 1, American Battery revealed that it had completed its purchase of a 13.8-acre property in Storey County, earmarked for a battery storage facility. The parcel of land at Sydney Drive is part of the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, known as the largest industrial park in the world.  The firm noted that it continues to work on building the battery recycling pilot plant, which it says, will directly support a domestic supply of high-demand battery metals through the utilization of innovative extraction technologies, which does not emit air toxins and eliminates water pollution On the partnership front, in May, American Battery and Cicle Inc said they were partnering to create the first-of-its-kind centralized service operations for the collection and recycling of electric vehicle batteries at Cicle EV ChargeParks. American Battery said the strategic partnership solves a critical renewable energy supply problem for the fast-growing EV ecosystem.  Cicle ChargeParks infrastructure is designed to recharge consumer EV's efficiently, as well as house multiple American Battery Metals collection points and operations across North America. American Battery Metals then collects the spent and damaged EV batteries and other lithium-ion products for recycling and core metals processing. In the boardroom, on May 12, American Battery announced the appointment of Tiffiany Moehring as its head of Corporate Communications. She joins the company from Waste Management, Inc. where she directed corporate communications initiatives with expertise in social impact (CSR/ESG), media relations, executive visibility, stakeholder engagement, traditional and social media, operational strategies and crisis communications. The company noted that Moehring has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of communications, marketing and community engagement working across governmental, academic, community and corporate sectors with a focus on environmental, education and public services. On the financing front, at the end of April, American Battery announced a $15 million registered direct offering with a single institutional investor. Under the arrangement, the company said it would sell 9,090,910 shares at $1.65 each for gross proceeds of about $15 million before deducting placement agent fees and expenses.  And in a boost for shareholders, on May 20 American Battery announced that it had submitted a formal application to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The company noted that while it intends to satisfy all of the applicable listing requirements, it cautioned there is no assurance its application will be approved. It added that during the Nasdaq review process its common shares will continue to trade on the OTC under its current symbol, ABML. Inflection points: Opening of lithium-ion battery recycling pilot plant facility in Fernley, Nevada More news on development center at the Nevada Center for Applied Research at the University of Nevada Reno Nasdaq listing progress What the boss says: “We believe listing our common stock on the Nasdaq will improve liquidity, increase our corporate visibility in the financial markets, and create shareholder value,” American Battery  CEO Doug Cole said in May's statement on the market move. “We believe that listing on the Nasdaq is a natural progression for the company and our shareholders,” Cole added. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com