Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Braven Environmental, LLC is no longer bringing its manufacturing operation to Cumberland County.

In June 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam announced a $31.7 million investment by Braven Environmental into Cumberland County to build a manufacturing operation. However, this investment is no longer happening.

“We are disappointed at this turn of events,” said Brian Stanley, chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors when asked about Braven no longer coming. “We are moving forward to bring other business opportunities and jobs to Cumberland County.”

Braven Environmental, LLC used technology that can process plastic waste with a low carbon impact and the potential to create a circular system for plastic and keep it out of landfills. Its process breaks down the plastic into a liquid output called PyChem that can either make new plastic or replace traditionally sourced fuels.

This operation would not only have brought a solution to plastic waste problems but brought over 80 permanent jobs to Cumberland in its first year. This was the first economic development announcement for Cumberland since 2009. The project was initially supposed to break ground in late 2020 and start the hiring process in early 2021.

According to Michael Moreno, co-founder and chief operating officer of Braven Environmental LLC, there is nothing to add to the story at this time.