Jul. 8—BLUEFIELD — Site preparation is almost complete near I-77 Exit 1 for the Omnis Building Technologies facility.

Jim Spencer, Bluefield's economic development director and head of the Bluefield Economic Development Authority (BEDA), said last week during the Bluefield City Board meeting that work is on schedule.

"Things are moving along very quickly," he said. "Omnis has already ordered the building."

Spencer said it is unclear, though, when the building may start arriving because of supply chain issues.

"They are thinking of having the materials in September," he said of the construction of the 135,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility, and everything is ordered and paid for.

Ground was broken on the $40 million facility in March with Gov. Jim Justice in attendance.

The company, based in California, manufactures "revolutionary housing," will employ about 300 and be located beside the Bluefield Area Transit headquarters on John Nash Boulevard.

Using concrete technology, Omnis can build a house in about two days and the houses are self-sustainable, generating their own water and electricity.

Homes are energy-efficient, pre-engineered systems made up of Concrete Insulated Building Units (CIBU) that are shipped and then assembled on-site to make pre-designed homes. Once delivered, they are turn-key homes.

The facility will produce more than 3,000 affordable homes a year.

Spencer spearheaded a process that started a year and a half ago to get the company here.

Michelle Christain, who is now with Omnis but was at one time with the state SBA (Small Business Administration), triggered the whole thing, he said at the groundbreaking.

Spencer said they had been friends for some time and she called him in November 2020 when she was at Omnis and told him the company may have in interest in relocating from California.

"Dec. 9 (2020) was the first time Omnis came to Bluefield," he said, and the ball started rolling.

"From that time, there have been some obstacles," but everyone worked together to overcome them.

Spencer also said help at the state level was crucial, with Justice and his team on board with the project.

"It's been a great team effort with the state's help," he said. "It would not have happened without them" as well as the city board and leadership team.

"It's a good day for Bluefield," he said. "This area needs jobs. We needed something different to boost our economy. We wanted to do something that would impact the next generation — our young people — long into the future by providing them with high-paying jobs in something that's sustainable. Thank goodness that's where we're at today with this announcement,"

"This is happening in Bluefield," Spencer said. "We are not reading about this coming to another locality like Charlotte or Atlanta."

Construction of the facility is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com