Richmond.com - Ford plant halted by Youngkin would have created 2,500 jobs in Southside
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s decision to halt plans for a $3.5 billion Ford Motor Co. battery plant over his concerns about Chinese influence cost one of the poorest areas of Virginia a reported 2,500 jobs with potential for more.
If Ford finalized the project, the plant would have gone in the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County. More than $200 million has been spent over 15 years to make Berry Hill a premier site and the largest publicly owned site in the Southeast. The plant would have built lithium iron phosphate batteries for Ford’s electric vehicles.
The location still has no tenant, however, after Youngkin intervened in late December to stop plans for the plant in Virginia because of its partnership with Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology. Youngkin first publicly discussed his decision after giving his State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday.
Youngkin called this joint venture between Ford and Contemporary Amperex Technology a “front for the Chinese Communist Party.” He’d rather strut around and brag about how he stuck it to China than to bring good jobs to Virginia. Someone other state will get this factory. And you can bet Youngkin will blame Democrats for jobs not coming to Virginia.