CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the last name of Blink Charging CEO Brendan Jones.
Biden administration officials, local politicians and climate advocates gathered on a chilly Monday morning to celebrate a major victory for Maryland’s business and climate communities.
Blink Charging officially opened its newest manufacturing facility in a Bowie business park alongside the company’s global corporate headquarters. The grand opening comes as the company works to consolidate warehouses to reduce its climate footprint and increase efficiency.
“What better place to have a sustainability message? We are producing jobs, generating energy security and making clean energy at the same time,” said Blink Charging CEO Brendan Jones. “We went state by state, came back to Maryland where we already had a trained workforce and it just made sense. The state and county were both very amenable to what we wanted to do. This mission is to drive positive change and leave a lasting impact on the environment… The chargers made in this facility are Buy In America-compliant. We are thankful for the administration’s support, which is accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.”
The Blink CEO also declared the company’s commitment to add at least 150 jobs over the next year.
The new facility is 30,000 square feet and operates on a line system to ensure quality control. With the expansions and consolidation of Blink’s supply line, the new facility is expected to produce over 50,000 chargers annually, more than doubling their previously expected output. The company is also expecting to build the Charging Center of Excellence, focusing on quality testing and customer satisfaction, with a fresh workforce of highly-trained engineers.
The Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $1 million conditional loan and Prince George’s County plans to provide a conditional loan of $120,000, according to Jones.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) was given a private tour of the manufacturing facility as several workers assembled 48 amp cables. He asked questions about quality control and where some of the workers had learned their trade and thanked them for their contributions.
“I’m thrilled to be here in amazing Prince George’s, with an exciting announcement in partnership with the Biden administration. We are watching Blink expand to have the capacity to make 50,000 chargers,” said Moore while in the manufacturing facility. “This is a realization of the vision that we need a battery-powered future. This is a big deal; it will help to address the climate and create manufacturing jobs.”
The governor cited this development as a continuing trend in Maryland’s thriving business climate.
U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) joined the tour of the facility. He noted his excitement seeing the high-tech facility and highlighted how leaders, such as Moore and President Joe Biden, made the new facility possible.
“This is a specific example of the Invest in America agenda under President Biden, which spurred giant public investment into private industry. [This is] what the president was talking about in the State of the Union — so we don’t have to rely on technology and energy from overseas,” Hoyer said. “One of the reasons [Blink Charging] came here is we have a governor with an eye on the future who is good at collaborating with the federal government and state leaders.”
White House Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, Hoyer, Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson, Sen. Ron Watson (D- District 23), Delegates Adrian Boafo and Kym Taylor (both D- District 23) and Prince George’s Council member Ingrid Watson (D- District 4) were all on hand for the site opening and to field questions about the benefits of EV usage.
“The governor launched several pivotal laws and an investment agenda that has expanded manufacturing across the country,” Zaidi said. “Thanks to this new capability, we are lining our roads and highways with chargers made in America. We are going to put over 100,000 chargers across the country, giving more power to consumers. Thanks to House and Senate Democrats, including Steny Hoyer, for getting this into the funding package, so we can secure an energy future for the United States.”