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Columbus, Ohio (May 12, 2022) – Velocys Inc., a 100% owned U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based sustainable fuels technology company Velocys PLC, has announced that it has signed a 15-year lease with Warner Industrial Corporate Centers 2 LLC, a subsidiary entity to Ohio-based developer The Pagura Company. Columbus-based Velocys, Inc. will invest $2 million, The Pagura Company will invest $8 million and Dublin Building Systems will build a 52,000-square-foot, Class-A production facility in Jerome Township, Union County. The project, which remains contingent on state and local approvals, will be located off Warner Road and house Velocys’ reactor core assembly operations alongside its research and development division. The company is hiring for roles in engineering, operations, chemistry and technical services.
“President Biden recently noted the importance of developing sustainable aviation fuels as a key national security matter,” said Velocys Vice President of Manufacturing and Technology Licensing, Brian Cody, “Expanding our R&D and production capacity in Central Ohio is essential to our company’s long-term growth in this space, and we couldn’t be more excited to break ground on this new facility.”
Compared to fossil-based jet fuel, synthetic drop-in fuel developed with Velocys’ technology has lower sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions when combusted in conventional engines and turbines. The company, which currently employs 15 in the Columbus Region, has historically assembled several key components at a third-party facility in Alabama. Bringing this highly specialized purpose-built facility for reactor core assembly in-house will allow Velocys to fully utilize its Fischer-Tropsch synthesis proprietary knowledge and the expertise it has developed and demonstrated over its more than 20 years of existence.
“Velocys’ expansion in Jerome Township is a perfect example of the kind of private sector partnerships that we’ve worked hard to attract,” said Union County Administrator, Tim Hansley. “We’re thrilled to welcome a company whose technology service offering has such a tremendous environmental impact into our thriving community of advanced manufacturing companies.” Manufacturing operations in the Columbus Region are diverse, spanning industries from automotive and electronics to machinery, materials, aerospace and consumer goods. The Region is home to over 1,700 manufacturing establishments with nearly 90,000 employees, resulting in more than $15 billion in annual economic output. Businesses in the Region have access to a steady pipeline of talent, fed by numerous career and technical training centers that partner with businesses to provide the training and skills needed for manufacturing.
“Facilities like Velocys’ are typically located near oil and gas industry clusters, so we’re particularly excited to see the company bringing their sustainable fuels operations to Ohio for the long-haul,” said JobsOhio President and CEO, J.P. Nauseef. “This investment will make the Columbus Region a long-term strategic hub for Velocys as it continues this phenomenal growth.”
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About Velocys
Velocys is an international sustainable fuels technology company providing customers with a technology solution to enable the production of Negative Carbon Intensity synthetic, drop-in fuels from a variety of waste materials. Synthetic fuel is the only commercially available, permanent alternative to fossil aviation fuels. Velocys’ proprietary Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology is IP-protected in all major jurisdictions, with two reference projects (Bayou Fuels in Mississippi, US, and Altalto, UK) designed to accelerate the adoption and standardization of this integrated end to end solution. Velocys is enabling commercial scale synthetic fuel production in response to the clean energy transition, with significant additional positive air quality impacts. Learn more at www.velocys.com.
About The Pagura Company
The Pagura Company is an Ohio-based real estate solutions company that specializes in developing and managing custom-designed buildings and apartments across the United State. Steve Pagura, owner and lead developer of The Pagura Company, is no stranger to Jerome Township and Union County, breaking ground on his first development in the early 2000s and bringing over 500,000-Square Feet of new development to the area to date. The Pagura Company is planning on developing on the 14-acres next to the Warner Velocys building, which they hope will bring both business and job growth to Jerome Township and Union County. Learn more at thepaguracompany.com.
About Union County, Ohio
With over 62,000 residents and located just to the northwest of Columbus, Union County is the 2nd fastest growing county in Ohio. Its rich history of manufacturing and its expansive and growing research and development sector make it an ideal location for companies in these sectors. The recent investment of over $100M into the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor within the Beta District has made Union County home to one of the most advanced Connected Vehicle Environments (CVE) in the world. Jerome Township is Union County’s fastest growing township both from a commercial and residential standpoint. Learn more about Union County at www.unioncountyohio.gov and learn more about Jerome Township at jerometownship.us/.
About JobsOhio
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About One Columbus
As the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region, One Columbus’ mission is to lead a comprehensive regional growth strategy that develops and attracts the world’s most competitive companies, grows a highly adaptive workforce, prepares our communities for the future, and inspires corporate, academic and public innovation throughout the Columbus Region. One Columbus expertly guides companies through the location decision process. Through strategic business outreach and customized research, the One Columbus team leverages public, private and institutional partnerships to grow the Columbus Region’s economy and strengthen its national and international competitiveness. Funding is received from more than 300 private organizations, local governments, academic institutions and JobsOhio. Learn more at ColumbusRegion.com.
One Columbus Media Contact
Amy Harman
614-225-6070
ah@columbusregion.com
Velocys Media Contact
Lak Siriwardene
+44 7516 144317
lak.siriwardene@velocys.com
Pagura Company Media Contact
Angela DeSanto
614-578-4241
adesanto@thepaguracompany.com