Microporous construction starts at Southern Virginia Megasite

Danville and Pittsylvania County have moved the Microporous project from announcement into construction, a major step for the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill and the broader Southside manufacturing corridor.

The City of Danville says local and state leaders gathered Friday, May 22, at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research to mark the start of construction on Microporous' lithium-ion battery separator manufacturing facility. The public announcement ties the project to a $1.6 billion investment, more than 1,800 expected jobs and average annual wages of about $61,000.

Construction is expected to take about 14 months, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2027. Microporous is described by the city as the first tenant at the Southern Virginia Megasite, a long-watched economic-development site that Danville and Pittsylvania County have promoted for advanced manufacturing.

The buildout will matter well before hiring reaches its full scale. Contractors, training providers, housing markets, commuters and small businesses will all feel the effects as the site moves through construction and then into operations. For the Star News region, the story is not only one factory; it is a test of whether the Danville-Pittsylvania industrial push can convert megasite preparation into long-term family-wage jobs.

Source: Reporting based on the City of Danville's May 22, 2026 notice, Leaders celebrate start of Microporous construction.