SWVA Biochar, a leading producer of premium biochar, will increase capacity at its operation in Floyd County, Virginia. The $2.6 million project is expected to create 15 jobs.

The company will make updates to its current facility at 209 Sams Road Southeast, adding new equipment, including several new kilns.

“SWVA Biochar worked with expert partners at James Madison University and in Colorado to determine that demand for quality biochar is high along the East Coast and overseas in Great Britain and other European countries,” said Jack Wall, SWVA Biochar Manager. “Virginia’s plentiful, high-quality biomass resources to make biochar and biochar-infused compost, as well as the markets for biochar products around the Commonwealth, are unlimited. These resources, along with a vibrant agriculture environment and a skilled and available workforce, were an obvious recipe for a successful business made possible through the support and cooperative relationships we have in Virginia.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) will support SWVA Biochar’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities.

As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.

“Virginia’s collaborative environment and skilled workforce bolster newer businesses like SWVA Biochar that are creating jobs for the future,” noted Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “As we work to catalyze the growth of startups across the Commonwealth, we celebrate SWVA Biochar’s success and are proud to support the company through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.”

Founded in 2021, SWVA Biochar produces highly absorbent, specially produced charcoal with a wide variety of environmentally positive applications and carbon sequestering properties. The company utilizes a specialized manufacturing process that converts biomass into premium biochar material used for filtration systems and as a soil conditioner.