Company's expansion in Northampton County will result in 50 new jobs for Eastern Shore
Cape Charles, VA - Governor Jim Gilmore today announced that Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERI) has chosen the Cape Charles Sustainable Technology Park for its manufacturing and research and development operations. The company plans to hire 50 employees through a $2.5 million investment.
"This announcement will bring hope and opportunity to communities throughout the Eastern Shore like Bayview and Cheriton," Governor Gilmore said. "Energy Recovery's decision to locate in Northampton County will enhance Virginia's position as a leader for companies involved in the most advanced 21st century technologies."
ERI was founded in Virginia in 1992 and is owned by a group of international investors. The company is devoted to the commercialization of its proprietary Pressure Exchanger (PE) technology, which will improve many wasteful pumping processes and make sea water desalination very affordable for any coastal community worldwide. The development effort has involved several international companies and institutions as venture partners including the Norwegian Hydrotechnical Laboratories, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Thyssen Nordseewerke GmbH, Newport News Shipbuilding, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and HOH Water Technologies.
"The Cape Charles Sustainable Technology Park provides the ideal environment to showcase our products and the evolving technology," President of ERI Leif J. Hauge said. "We're pleased to be part of America's first eco-industrial park."
Eco-industrial parks are designed to maximize efficient use of energy and resources while eliminating waste and pollution. The Cape Charles eco-industrial facility is developed and managed by the Sustainable Technology Park Authority, which was created by Northampton County and the Town of Cape Charles. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Virginia Coastal Program funded the design of the park. Since 1990, the Virginia Coastal Resources Management Program of the Department of Environmental Quality has provided more than $1.8 million in grants for sustainable and related projects in Northampton County.
The Governor approved $170,000 from the Governor's Opportunity Fund for the project - the first GOF ever granted to the Eastern Shore. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Sustainable Technology Park Authority, Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology and the Virginia Eastern Shore Economic Development Commission assisted the company with its decision. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services.
# # #