Solar manufacturer Suniva Inc. has begun construction of its new solar module assembly factory in Saginaw Township, and company officials are finishing the initial round of hiring.
The facility at 2650 Schust, formerly a Sears Warehouse, will be Suniva’s second U.S. solar manufacturing facility, company officials reported in a news release issued Tuesday, Aug. 12.
The new facility will provide up to 200 megawatts of additional capacity of Suniva’s American-made modules, supplementing the company’s existing manufacturing facility at its Georgia headquarters, the release states.
William A. Kibbe & Associates Inc. is designing and engineering the 129,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, the release states. Suniva has selected multiple Michigan-based contractors to complete the project.
“The U.S. is now one of the top three markets for the global solar industry. Given that, expanding our U.S. manufacturing operation makes a lot of sense and we believe Michigan is the ideal location,” Marc Rogovin, Suniva’s vice president of corporate services, said in a prepared statement.
“With the region’s rich manufacturing history, we have a highly-skilled workforce to draw from and many key supply chain partners in the area. Michigan is a central location with the logistics infrastructure that makes it very easy for us to move our products.”
In recent weeks, Suniva’s website has listed scores of job openings for its new Saginaw Township facility, including solar module operators, warehouse clerks and maintenance technicians. Officials say the company is finalizing its initial round of hiring this week.
Company officials plan to create 350 jobs over the next three years.
Rogovin previously told MLive/The Saginaw News that Suniva is looking for people who want to work.
“We’re looking for good people that want a career,” he said.
This new facility in Saginaw Township “further strengthens Suniva’s position as America’s leading solar module manufacturer, employing a higher percentage of American workers than any other tier-1 solar manufacturer,” the release states.
Source: Mlive.com
