Congratulations to Tooele City! Electroflow and TMRCo (Texas Membrane Restoration Co.) are partnering to construct a first-of-its-kind lithium extraction facility in Tooele City, creating 10 new jobs in Utah over the coming years. This collaboration represents a major step forward in advancing innovative lithium extraction technologies and strengthening the region’s energy and materials economy.

“Tooele City is proud to welcome Project Seven Up and the partnership between Electroflow and TMRCo,” said Tooele City Mayor Maresa Manzione. “This innovative lithium extraction facility brings new jobs, strengthens our local economy, and supports the long-term sustainability of the Bonneville Salt Flats.”

The many partners involved in this project helped demonstrate to the company that Utah is a business-friendly and collaborative place to locate. These partners included Tooele City; the University of Utah; Terracon; Union Pacific; and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands – all of which met with Project Seven Up during the decision-making process. Through EDCUtah’s request for information process, the companies found a rail-served site in Tooele City to meet their immediate growth needs. 

“Our investment in Tooele City is about more than lithium,” said Eric McShane, CEO of Electroflow. “It’s about building advanced manufacturing capacity in Utah. Over the coming years, we expect to invest more than $5 million in capital equipment as we scale towards commercial production, creating high-quality technical jobs and positioning Utah at the forefront of next-generation mineral processing.”

EDCUtah assisted Electroflow and TMRCo by issuing a call for sites and facilitating a site visit in July 2025. The project had highly specific requirements, including multiple rail spurs, and EDCUtah worked with its statewide network to identify an ideal location in Tooele City. The companies share the goal of producing lithium without introducing new impacts to the Great Salt Lake or the Bonneville Salt Flats, and EDCUtah facilitated meetings with scientists, researchers, and representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the University of Utah, and the State of Utah. These early collaborations help position the project to support Utah’s economy while preserving the state’s unique ecosystems.

“EDCUtah is thrilled to support this project expansion,” said Ryan Starks, executive director of EDCUtah. “Electroflow and TMRCo represent the kind of innovation Utah strives to attract and reflect an approach of collaboration and corporate responsibility. Their facility in Tooele City will produce a critical mineral essential to powering our economy into the future while demonstrating how innovation and environmental stewardship can advance together to create lasting benefits for communities across the state.”

Electroflow and TMRCo are advancing a new lithium extraction operation in Tooele City that applies an innovative electrochemical process to recover lithium from minerals already being processed from the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding region. By focusing on existing mineral streams, the project supports the production of a critical resource while avoiding new environmental impacts and contributing to Utah’s growing role in advanced materials and energy-related technologies. A ribbon-cutting is planned for late May 2026.

Fun Fact: This project was named “Seven Up” because the original 7-Up soda contained lithium citrate, which was known to give consumers an “up” or elevated mood. The atomic weight of lithium is just under 7 on the periodic table, leading to the name “7-Up”.

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‍Jared Stewart, senior business development manager, led Project Seven Up for EDCUtah.‍

EDCUtah Investors: If you were involved with this project and would like to have your organization mentioned, please email connect@edcutah.org and we’ll update this article.