MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Sparkz is the lone maker of lithium-ion batteries in the United States with a corporate office in Livermore, California, an Innovation Center in Knoxville, Tennessee- and soon could call Monongalia County Home. The company was founded in 2019 and continues to re-engineer the battery supply chain.
On WAJR’s Talk of the Town, Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom said company officials have shown interest in this area after founder and CEO Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra announced they would build a facility in the state this year.
“I’ve met with the CEO and I’m talking to them and we want to bring that battery company here and we’re one of several cities in the running,” Bloom said. “That’s the kind of things we do working with Russ Rogerson.”
The company has said they would prioritize displaced mine workers. Monongalia County Resources, Inc. recently laid off the final 180 miners from the Blacksville No. 2 Mine.
“They are looking for miners that are out of work,” Bloom said. “They would be the first ones that could get those jobs.”
For Monongalia County the last several months have been very promising. Maryland-based Owens & Minor, Inc. announced plans to to bring about 140 jobs to the area. The former Mylan facility on Chestnut Ridge Road will now be managed by the WVU Innovation Corporation for start up and academic ventures and an announcement about a bottling company coming to the Morgantown Industrial Park is expected soon.
“This is one of the things we’ve been doing quietly to bring jobs to the community,” Bloom said.
While the Monongalia County area faces challenges, we have many benefits to attract economic activity other areas of the state do not have.
“It’s difficult fior whatever reason to come to West Virginia. People think it’s a bad business climate because that’s all you read,” Bloom said. “But in Monongalia County, we’re an oasis and we have to sell that.”
An announcement about the future of Sparkz could come later this month.