e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e [Music] r e e e e e e e e e e e e okay good afternoon everybody uh I'm Ted Wy I'm one of the co-founders and the Chief Operating Officer here at form energy and it is my true honor to welcome you to this uh incredible exciting day as we officially open form Factory 1 and I'm honored to be joined on the stage by Governor Justice and baby [Applause] dog uh I'm looking out across a sea of people and uh what I'm seeing you know every single person that's in the room today uh you are here because you played an important role in helping us reach this moment right now uh it's a group of people who who believed in us when it counted and for that I thank you um the majority of the people here are actually families of our team and to you in particular to our family members um thank you for being a part of this journey with us we could not do it without you uh can we give the families a round of applause today marks uh today marks the beginning of a new chapter not just for form but for the great community of weiron a few years ago our team tasked me with finding the perfect place to build our first factory we were looking for something that was hard to find a site with river and Rail and Highway access that was close uh and also close to a major airport and top universities and finally close to a really skilled Workforce that wasn't an easy ask uh and we screened over 500 sites across the country uh and we visited more than 20 and I I'll tell you I never I will never forget the minute that I drove through the gate here at Cove Road I immediately knew that this place was special won has this proud Legacy of of building of creating things matter from Iron and Steel and people people rightly say uh that the foundations laid here helped shape our nation uh yes the place but also the people and even then I could clearly see the strength and the commitment and the pride of this community are unmatched and exactly what we at form needed uh as partners to mass-produce batteries that are the size of football fields to secure our nation's energy grid So today we're opening the doors of form Factory one to you all uh and I couldn't be more thrilled to invite you to see what we've been building side by side with the people of won over this past year uh and so and surounding areas um now it is my great pleasure to introduce a fellow veteran uh and someone who's been a tremendous supporter of this vision and the weon community broadly and also a special note here I'm I'm introducing Senator Ryan weld it's his it's his anniversary today so Alex and Senator weld uh thank you for spending your anniversary with us uh we really appreciate you being [Applause] here I'm well good afternoon everybody uh first I'd like to thank Mato and Ted for the entire uh for team for having me be a part of today's event it really is an honor to be here in front of you all uh second and Ted uh as Ted Ted stated my wife Alex is here with me today and today is our 9th anniversary so we appreciate everybody coming out to celebrate with us and uh I believe suon wherever he is will be cutting the cake later for everybody so really appreciate it um groundbreaking never before seen Cutting Edge innovating a manufacturing Revolution if you had told me two years ago that one day I would find these words and news stories describing a product that was going to be manufactured in a 500,000 ft facility in downtown weon I would not have asked you who you were betting on to win the Super Bowl but here we are today sitting on the former site of we and steel manufacturing batteries that are being described in those exact words on June 20th 1963 on the 100th anniversary of the founding of West Virginia the President John F Kennedy said the sun does not always shine in West Virginia but the people always do I'm going to borrow from that quote a little bit and say that while the sun does not always shine West Virginia's batteries will make sure that the lights always do and that is why we are here today when secretary carmichel first introduced me to form energy and its people back in November of 2022 I did all that I could to temper my expectations as many of you have heard me say numerous times I'm a product of Weirton in the 1980s I grew up not very far just up the street from here so I have seen a little bit of the best of times but I've also seen a lot of the worst of times so I knew that I had a responsibility to not get my hopes or my expectations too high that couldn't be met because I believe that the worst thing that elected official can do is set their constituents up for another disappointment or another opportunity that doesn't become a reality but as I sat in the meetings and did more and more research I couldn't help but get excited I couldn't help but become optimistic about who this company was the product they would be making and what this proposal would mean not just to this community but to the region and that is what brings us here today this is not another disappointment or lost opportunity once this building started to go up it's all people and weird one to talk about whenever I would go out or see people as last Summer's construction moved into the fall and winter and this site started to resemble an actual building the feelings that have persisted here for so long began to change the uncertainty and skepticism of a community who justifiably felt left behind because of what happened to their steel mill was slowly being replaced as this futuristic building continued to take shape on the spot where so many of won's fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers worked day and night excitement once again grew for this City's future where's Mato back in December of 2022 when this project was announced I gave you my grandfather's mil badge from weon steel and I did so because I knew that the work that you were going to do that you were going to work just as hard for weon as he and so many others did for all those years here in the mill almost two years later I know that I was right in doing so and I'm very proud that you have that and I know that he would be too I know that you I know that you and your team here today whether they're in an office or down here on the factory floor are all going to carry on the legacy of the men and women of we and steel and just like them be very proud of a product that says Made In weiron in closing I represent the entire first Senate District but weon was my first Hometown and we'll always have a special place in my heart so to see this incredible opportunity to come to realization for this community to once again be manufacturing a product that will put weon back on the map is something that I'm both honored and humbled to be a part of to be your senator in this moment as this opportunity presents itself is something that I will always be grateful for and it's why I love this job thank you all once again now let's get back to work think I got to introduce you thank you sir so another part of the reason I love this job is now my honor to present to you an introduce the 35th governor of the great state of West Virginia The Honorable Jim Justice sir thank you again well I usually talk loud enough that I really probably don't even need this and uh there's so many dignitaries here but really and truly the dignitaries that are here that we should AB absolutely give thanks to in every way are Mato and Ted and their families their absolutely commitment to what is going on here is off the chart you know it you know it to tell it like it is absolutely weiron died a thousand deaths and it was terrible it was really sad with all that being said if you'll just step back and just think of the contribution that won made to this nation to our world forever more through the decades and decades and decades it didn't deserve to die did it absolutely someway somehow from God above and all the dignitaries here our president and the Senate Senators there's I'm sure there's delegates I'm sure there's Mayors there's all kinds of Commissioners there's all kinds of great people people here but really at the end of the day what weiron is really all about is what I say over and over it's all about Toby and Edith it's all about these little fellas right here absolutely it's about you that's all there is to it that's why so many people are here because we're celebrating you we're celebrating our future future now we have reached out and we've said West Virginia of all places really and truly shouldn't be the place that is all inclusive in what we do as far as energy but we have made and put a steak in the sand that absolutely absolutely we're going to be just that now along the way and and in short order here I'm going to have to go because I'm going to a coal mine and meet with some coal miners this afternoon and I would tell all of you never never never forget our coal miners don't forget our gas workers don't forget our fossil fuels but it doesn't mean we're not all inclusive in all forms of energy because at the end of the day and I've said it 10 million times but it's true if any country in the world the more energy they have the longer their people live the healthier they are the better they are in every way energy absolutely is the bottom line if you want to absolutely go straight to the bottom line and say civilization will not progress it will not unless you have abundant cheap and now clean energy that's all there is to it it's just that simple absolutely I think right down the road the cliff Story the form story here is unflat believable what is going on here nobody can believe it they asked me really quick after I saw the inside of what was happening here they asked me really quick and said well what do you think and I said it's almost like a surgical unit headed toward the future it's unbelievable and we're blessed in every way $760 million and maybe even more 750 jobs and maybe even more goodness like you can't imagine that does not even count the multiplier effect of those jobs I look at Mike grainy I think about Mitch I don't know if Mitch is here you know but wherever he is I can't see him right now and I'm glad of it now okay Mitch no I I just tease the work that's been done here is absolutely an example of how when we all pull the rope together by God we can do good stuff and that's what's happened and so for baby dog and I and the only reason I bring baby dog I know I know it's always got to be about baby dog doesn't it but for baby dog and I really and truly the thing that I've said 10 million times is she makes you smile and she loves everybody and when it really boils right down to it if all of us in our lives could make others smile and love everybody we'd be a heck of a lot better off in this world all across the board so so with all of that all I can say is Mata and Ted and all of y'all Senators president you know all the different folks all over the place here all the effort that's been made by our Administration all the effort that's been made together p pulling this rope thank you thank you all absolutely keep it going West Virginia is shining so bright it's unbelievable keep it going absolutely we are the best and thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to show you that we're the best we won't let you down I'll promise you this that all across the board the thing that you'll be astounded with from West Virginia over and over is how much they appreciate others wait and see was all that being said again I'll leave you with just this God bless each and every one of you it's impressive beyond belief think about little baby dog she's already had chicken nuggets she's doing really good she I looked at her earlier today and I said baby dog I think you've gained a couple of pounds and and she said no no she said Jim I think you've gain more than two two and she's probably right listen God bless yall thank you so so much for having [Applause] me thank thank you so much Governor Justice for your support since we started the conversation with West Virginia two years ago and for your support here today we broke ground on this site May 26 2000 or sorry 2023 so just over a year ago and we were just past where the parking lot is today and the land you're standing on was bare dirt and there were a few excavators moving some dirt at the time and we we had about 150 folks there in various luminaries and I'm not going to say who but somebody pulled me aside during the ceremony after we were just mingling around and pointed out the be patch of land from the tent that we were sitting in and said you're going to have a factory in a year I don't believe it and that was a huge supporter of the company but I took that and I put that right where I stick a lot of other things for motivation and we got it done and you're standing in the results of that amazing work that the team had than thank thank you Mitch appreciate that and I've been asked a lot over the last few months when the reality of that progress is Manifest here by people in the community and other people who follow online the progress of the bill they say how did you do that how did you build that so fast and the short answer is that we are all we're modest people inside the company with very immodest goals we're aiming extremely high for our company and the impact that we intend to have Excellence is a core feature of what we aim for at form energy and that means delivering not just on the product not just on the timeline not just for the community but exceeding all those expectations as we move ahead and we want to show what's possible on an old steel mill site and we want to show what's possible for a new West Virginia and we want to show what's possible for a new economy now it may sound unlikely that a battery is going to go do all those things and i' I've been working in batteries for 20 years and the looks on people's faces when I usually say I work in batteries you know they kind of look for somebody else to talk to but we've got a chance to do all that and a little battery which rusts iron and then unrust it is going to go achieve a very immodest goal so I couldn't be prouder to be here with y'all today couldn't be more excited about what the future holds and I also want to invite a special guest up here that really embodies you know why we're here which is the customer we we're a business we make batteries we sell those to Electric utilities and our customers are electric utilities and we're honored to have here today the CEO of Excel Energy which is one of the biggest Utilities in the United States here and they're going to be one of our first customers and they just like like the state of West Virginia committed to us years ago that they would be there for us on the other side they said you do what you say you're going to do we'll be there for you and I'm happy to say that we are doing what we said we were going to go do and we have some path left yet to fulfill but Mr frenzel and his team will be here uh ready to deploy those batteries so it's important to hear from the customer from the company point of view and I'm just invited Bob up here for a minute to share his perspective thank you Bob holy cow I have never had to eat crow in front of so many people but I think I was that guy 15 months ago sitting over in a tent saying there is no way we get a factory on this site in a year uh and thanks to the indomitable Spirit of this company and this leadership I get to stand here and say thank you you know we are a customer uh we expect to buy almost half of the output of the factory in 2025 but eight years ago we were an investor in the company and it was Five Guys in a great idea and a questionable technology that through the spirit the Ingenuity the hard work and the tenacity of this group of people we get to stand here and watch product roll off the line even as I went through the tour today and it's an incredible Consortium that came together to make this happen the state of West Virginia the federal government private investment all came together with a lot of Ingenuity most importantly human capital this group the people in this room the people are going to work here the people who help build this Factory the people who in ated who engineered who designed it and are going to make this thing come to life so many great Technologies die on the vine because they lack money or human capital or spirit this place is going to succeed I'm an ex-navy guy I used to run nuclear power plants in the Navy I can tell you first and foremost energy security is National Security 90 years ago Weirton was at the front tip of the spere of our national security making steel for airplanes aircraft carriers Navy ships as we went to go do battle overseas this is absolutely critical electricity AI is the next Battleground these guys are making products that make our energy grid secure that make it safe and without which we would lack the National Security that's going to come from a lowcost highly reliable and sustainable electricity Source I couldn't be more proud to to be a customer of this company I couldn't be more proud to be an investor in this company and maybe I'm most proud of just being friends with the folks in this room thank you very much all right thank thank you Bob so much now we got a lot of pro we fulfilled some promises some commitments we got a lot yet to fulfill and uh the the very next one that I'm very happy to say that we're accomplishing when we signed the deal with the state of West Virginia by the way the state of West Virginia owns the land and the building uh right now and until and unless we hit those jobs figures that remains the case so form is paying for everything inside here it was a very canny deal negotiated by Mitch and his team it's a great deal for the state of West Virginia and that means that we are a tenant of the state of West Virginia and that means that as a tenant we need to pay rent and so it's my honor to pay rent it's just the first of a of a lot of monetary support that we're going to give be giving back uh to the state of West Virginia so with that that I'm going to invite up Mike Adams who is the city manager of Weirton Mike so glad to be here just a few comments um and uh for for city of wton this is a day of appreciation and thanks um and we our thanks go out to uh obviously the governor and the Eda our legislature uh thanks to Mato and Ted uh and and the thanks comes from having a vision and they took a place that that looked Rusty and Dusty to everybody else and they they looked through all that and they found the inherent value of the people that live here and the people that work here and uh we can't be more appreciative for that opportunity we're going to uh our people here are uh are second to none and uh we think this this this location is quite unique for for industry I think it's a testament that uh that that we're here doing this today and we can't be more appreciative uh as far as the the the creation of this Factory I too like Bob would thought 15 months I don't know but I I thought it I didn't say it out loud okay I just thought it I didn't tell the guy didn't you know and then I met Sufi on I knew I'll forget it it's it's going to happen so that that's a another story for another day I guess but um at any rate we're we're just delighted I mean the progress has been miraculous people come here that might not visited for maybe a two weeks or a month and they just can't believe the progress hell I live here and sometimes I drive by and is there something new within a week so it's just been uh a miraculous progress and and changing this whole site to something that we can be proud of and it and it gives us our community uh uh a lot to be proud of and a lot to have hope for you know once people lose jobs and Jobs go away people start to lose hope and now we have that back we're you know we're back in the back in the game and and and that I can't emphasize the value of that and the hope and the Dignity of good paying jobs so uh we're looking forward to being big part big part of the All Above uh energy State and uh so and with that being said I'm going to reveal what's under this this flag which is kind of a city tradition for big events and um not that big horn though um but uh this is uh this is an this is a this is a plaque that uh kind of memorializes the uh the signing of the of the paperwork that that funded this project it's from the we we and Daily Times and it was from fe uh February 23rd 2023 and I remember this day distinctly it was a chilly day but really sunny and I think the probably the key component of this whenever you walk around later and take a look at this picture is as you look past uh Mayor Miller and Mato and and uh Governor Justice you'll see there's nothing behind them there's nothing there's a wide open space well in that wide open space is where you are right now so uh you talk about miraculous progress I I just feel like uh I can't even explain to people sometimes how how much different everything has become and how energized people are so again thank you thank you thank you to the state to the Eda to the folks from forum and everybody that has supported this and um and I'll present this to you you and the governor you guys can fight over it I guess but uh thanks I and I think we're going get some some pictures maybe with with uh we're GNA we're going to wrap this up here very quickly there is one further exchange of a gift and and this one's for the star of the show this one's for baby dog so here's some homemade treats in a bandanna she's able to wear that out there let everybody know that her favorite Factory in West virgin is right here in won [Applause] I'm not going to put this over there right now we'll hold on to that okay we're going to do a quick photo and then uh we'll wrap up and then uh invite everybody to spend time just uh eating some food enjoying some good music with each other I think the Mountaineer is going to lead us in a very special yell there's a football game maybe coming up this weekend and uh and we're going to do real real quick one you need the mic Governor I need one second I've got I need to I need to say one thing to there turn on we got it okay and I've told you this before but when I was like 11 you know I sat in the Mountaineer Fieldhouse and we were from Beckley and Beckley was playing weiron in 1962 in the AAA finals of the state tournament with both teams undefeated I think Fritz Williams was playing for weon and was a sophomore at the time I'll never ever ever forget the crowd at that time was completely wild Beckley was behind I think by 15 points with like 6 minutes and 5 Seconds to go in the game and won so two years later two years later in 1964 in the semifinals of the state tournament Beckley was playing weiron again Fritz Williams was a senior and absolutely the crowd just kept chanting over and over we remember 62 you'll remember 64 and honest to goodness weiron beat the stuffing out of beckam and so what I'd like to hear from y'all is just this I want to hear everybody here just one moment one moment for me as loud as you possibly can chant we remember 62 you'll remember 24 and that's the world we remember 62 you'll remember 24 but now you got to say it loud really loud for baby dog for me for everybody all the folks in weiron I absolutely need to hear you at your loudest Mato you've got to you've got to Ring The Ring all right all right let's do this ready one two three we remember 62 you'll remember 24 all right so I'm going to invite uh Mike back uh yeah Mike where is Mike back up and then Ted and we're g to do a quick picture and then Ted will close us out at Ryan please Bob you want to come up for do you want to say and John yep okay so we are ready to move into the fun part of the day um again thanks everybody for being here uh right now we are going to move outside and there's some food uh there's some there's fun activities and then there's also self-guided tours available uh inside the factory for the rest of the day uh but first right before we do that uh I'm going to welcome the Mountaineer to the stage uh to lead us in a [Music] cheer how's it going good to see you again all right hello my name is Braden Atkins and I'm the 70th Mountaineer mascot for West Virginia University of course thank you first and foremost I want everybody to give a big round of applause for everybody that made this project happen thank [Applause] you and I want to thank form energy for investing in West Virginia so as promised I want to start a let's go Mountaineers cheer because if you do or do not know we are about to play the7th edition of the Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh on Saturday and we need all the energy that we can have all right so I'm going to say let's go you guys are going to say Mountaineers I need you to be loud I need you to be proud and I want we're going to do it three times can we do this all right let's go let's go let's go all right thank you guys and let's go Mountaineers and let's head ourselves outside home