March 11th, 2024 by WCBC Radio
Governor Wes Moore today announced that Blink Charging Co., a leading global provider of electric vehicle charging equipment, is establishing its global headquarters at a 15,000 square-foot facility at 17301 Melford Boulevard in Prince George’s County. Complementing this pivotal move, Blink is also expanding its manufacturing capacity through the construction of a new LEED Gold-certified 30,000 square-foot production facility in Bowie.
"We are thrilled to welcome Blink’s headquarters to the Great State of Maryland. This decision doesn't just affirm our commitment to climate action – it also supports our work to create new jobs and make Maryland more competitive," said Gov. Moore. "Together, we will meet our goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2035, and we will ensure that climate justice drives economic justice."
The company’s headquarters, as well as its new production facility at 5081 Howerton Way, are contained within Melford Town Center, a mixed-use business community developed by St. John Properties, Inc. The production facility is expected to produce more than 50,000 charging units annually to cater to the rising demand for electric vehicles. With the relocation and planned manufacturing expansion, Blink hopes to increase environmentally-friendly employment opportunities in the county by creating more than 60 new positions within the first year.
In June 2022, Blink acquired EV infrastructure company SemaConnect and its Maryland manufacturing facilities. Blink stated that it would benefit from SemaConnect’s in-house research and development, hardware design, and manufacturing capabilities while capitalizing on its newfound Washington, D.C. presence.
Blink's primary products and services include the Blink EV charging network, which uses proprietary, cloud-based software to operate, maintain, and track the EV charging stations connected to the network and the associated charging data. The final assembly of Series 6, Series 7, and Series 8 of L2 chargers occurs in Bowie, MD.
The Maryland expansion will also support Blink's growth by adding another production line, streamlining operations, and meeting the increasing demand for electric vehicles. This manufacturing facility will continue to adhere to U.S. “Buy American” requirements, helping the company increase domestic manufacturing and production of its products.
To help with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $1 million conditional loan through the Advantage Maryland program. Prince George’s County also plans to provide a $120,000 conditional loan through its Economic Development Incentive Fund. The company is eligible for various other incentives, including the More Jobs for Marylanders program and the state's Job Creation Tax Credit.
