LYNCHBURG (WSLS 10) - Dozens of supporters and protesters were on hand for the grand opening of a new slaughterhouse in Lynchburg Monday.
Seven Hills Food Company was established with the help of a $250,000 grant from the city and state, but some people living there don't want to see them set-up shop.
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Protest organizer Lynn Hudson has lived in Lynchburg her whole life "A lot of the city of Lynchburg doesn't want this. They were hoping it wouldn't reopen, they were hoping it would be torn down. It's just, it's not the kind of business a lot of people in Lynchburg don't want to celebrate."
Hudson says she isn't comfortable knowing animals are dying every day in her backyard "It promotes cruelty and horrific suffering to countless farm animals. Not many people get to witness a slaughter."
Governor Mcauliffe says there's a good reason the state and city of Lynchburg are putting $250,000 behind this business "Right now, these beef and poultry products are taken out of state, and then they're brought back in the state, so all you're doing is adding more cost, and I think it's healthier the closer you are, and obviously it will bring the cost of food down because you're taking transportation costs."
Seven Hills owner Ryan Ford says those falling costs and financial backing means "We're able to get open faster, we're able to hire more people, we're able to really get this thing off and running, so the financial part of it is wonderful."
Ford already has 15 people working for him and hopes that will increase to 43 new jobs, but for Hudson and several others, the benefit isn't worth the cost.
"People really needed to be educated, not only about the suffering that's going on right here in the middle of their city, but also about other options, healthier eating options."
Protesters say that their wish is that that $250,000 had been invested into the Lynchburg City community, but regardless, Ford says the facility is already up and running and working with 6 different Virginia farms.