BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — The dirt started moving Tuesday on a new facility which promised 150 to 300 new jobs to the Mercer County area in the months and years ahead. Governor Jim Justice joined the Bluefield Economic Development Authority and officials with Omnis Building Technologies to break ground on the company’s new facility.
Omnis, based in California, has been a world leader in development of concrete technology through the years. The most recent innovation is pre-fabricated blocks which can allow for quick construction of self sustaining housing. The new facility in Bluefield will produce those pre-fabricated materials for the homes. The $40 Million plant will be 150,000 square feet and constructed just of I-77
“I’ve been told we are going to build homes now that are affordable beyond belief and we can build that home in three days or less, and maybe even a day,” said Governor Jim Justice during the ceremony.
Justice said while he was pleased to be hand to welcome Omnis to West Virginia, he couldn’t take much of the credit for luring them to the region. He said those accolades fall to the Bluefield Economic Development Authority and its Executive Director Jim Spencer. Spencer was quick to deflect credit as well.
“I’m a person of faith and when you all hired me I started praying and I said, ‘Lord this area needs jobs. We need something different and we need a new economy.’ So I can’t stand here today without saying thank-you to the Good Lord for what He’s blessed us with,” Spencer told the gathering.
Omnis selected the Bluefield site after making the initial visit to the area 14 months ago. Spencer noted there were several twists and turns along the way and many stepped up to help iron out wrinkles which from time to time threatened the project. He offered them thanks during the ground breaking.
Omnis Building Technologies is a manufacturer of energy-efficient, pre-engineered, home building systems made up of Concrete Insulated Building Units (CIBU) that are shipped then assembled on-site to make pre-designed homes. Once delivered, these patented turn-key homes are easily constructed and move-in ready in just a few days.The homes are also self-sustainable, generating their own water and electricity. When looking across the country for a location to build their facility, Omnis Building Technologies President Jonathan Hodson said that Bluefield, West Virginia, is an ideal location because it enables the company to bring CIBU homes to most of the population in the United States by rail or truck.
“As we break ground on this facility, it fills us with hope,” said Omnis Building Technologies President Jonathan Hodson. “Hope that every year after the commissioning of the facility that 3,000 families could have a beautiful home and have the comfort of knowing their home is of the highest quality, is sustainable, and will last the test of time.”