Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. will break ground on its US$220 million Memphis manufacturing facility next week.

The company will hold a ceremony May 10 at 10 a.m.

Mitsubishi is building the 350,000-square-foot facility at Rivergate Industrial Park. It initially will make large power transformers and employ 275 people.

Construction is set to begin in late spring and production should begin in 2013.

Next week’s event will host Mitsubishi Electric executives as well as local civic leaders including Mitsubishi Electric CEO Brian Heery, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

O’Neal Inc., Mitsubishi’s general contractor, conducted job fairs in mid-April to interview potential subcontractors for the project. Mitsubishi received a $34 million tax abatement in February.

Warrendale, Pa.-based Mitsubishi Electric is the U.S. subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. It is responsible for serving North American power systems, rail transportation and water treatment industries with electrical and electronic products, systems and services.