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My head is pretty much swimming after many of the events of the last week. Between a series of threats at several of our local schools and against dozens of our students, attending various government meetings, press conferences, the annual Blue Mass at St. Joseph the Worker Church and attempting to attend to some personal needs, I'm hoping to have some time to relax and rest this weekend.
With several days of difficult news, though, there tend to always be at least a couple of bright spots to, hopefully, provide some balance.
This week, one of those positive moments was the invitation-only event at Form Factory 1.
I strive to be as open as possible in this space, and this is no exception. I had heard the event was coming about a month ago, and was told I would, eventually, receive an invitation. That came early Monday afternoon, along with a request of no coverage leading up to the event.
Wednesday morning, I heard there was an expectation of close to 800 attendees. Form Energy officials on Thursday, said closer to 900. All I know is, between company officials, employees and their families, investors, government officials, local VIPs, media and other guests, the place was packed. From my perspective, everything went smoothly. I'm sure there were some hiccups, but the Form team on site were busy working to pull it all off so most wouldn't notice. Even the governor showed up on time…with Babydog, of course.
I'll admit, when I first met with some of the Form Energy officials in February 2023, I was amazed with their enthusiasm. It's not something we've seen much of in the Ohio Valley over the last 20 years as we've become so accustomed to losing businesses and residents as companies either shut down or look elsewhere.
Learning of the timeline Form had planned back in April 2023, I, like many, was skeptical. How could an 800,000-square-foot facility be built in a little over a year, given site preparation wasn't fully complete and knowing how long much smaller projects often take in our area?
Yet, they broke ground a few weeks later, had foundations in place and the first steel going up that July.
We've all watched, mostly from afar, as the complex has been built, with steel rising, walls going into place and the facade being completed. Through my job, I've been fortunate to visit the site on multiple occasions, including for the "topping off" ceremony this past February, and a visit from U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito in early July which provided me with a first look of the inside of the plant.
Between that visit and Thursday's event, I can tell you Form Factory 1 is nothing like we've seen in our region before. It's white walls are a welcome site, with an incredible blend of machinery to assist the employees in producing their batteries.
The main lobby area is bright and welcoming, with plants and tables set up and views through the large windows.
There is a display featuring a historical timeline of the history of Weirton Steel and the beginning of Form Energy in Weirton, along with a wall displaying photographs of events and people from the community's history and Form Factory 1's construction.
Form Energy is honoring our past while looking toward the future.
It's truly been amazing to see this facility being built, to get to know some of the people involved, and to see that enthusiasm continue and spread. There are close to 250 people employed in our area by Form Energy now, as the company moves into its trial production phase. The plans still call for at least 750 to be hired in the next few years, as full operations begin and the company looks at a second construction phase to expand the factory.
Our communities have hit a few more stumbling blocks in the last year, but it's clear people see what is going on on that former steel property in the north end of town, and they are getting some of their hope back for the future.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @ChowellWDT)