WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – The Blue Star NBR glove manufacturing project is only partially finished as the rest of this multi-million dollar development is on hold after federal funding fell through.
We reached out to Virginia lawmakers to see if they were aware of the situation and if they’re doing anything to help find funding.
A spokesperson for Governor Glenn Youngkin responded to our inquiry:
“The Governor’s Office is aware of the situation and is working with VEDP and the Congressional delegation on the matter.”
The offices of Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, as well as Congressman Morgan Griffith, responded with a joint statement:
“Upon learning of the issues with the development of the Blue Star plant in Wythe County, Senators Kaine and Warner and Congressman Griffith teamed up in a bipartisan push to urge the Biden Administration and the company to come to an agreement to get the plant on track for completion. They are disappointed that an agreement was not reached. They will continue to look for ways to work across the aisle to support domestic manufacturing and job growth in Southwest Virginia.”
As we’ve reported, there was a groundbreaking in 2021 to announce the $700 million investment that was expected to bring in more than 2,500 new jobs.
We spoke to Blue Star CEO Scott Maier, who says only part of the construction is complete because they still need $230 million to finish the project. He says that money was promised by the federal government but fell through.