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New solar power systems plant in NLV to create 300 jobs
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JESSICA EBELHAR/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Brian Robertson, CEO of Amonix, left, looks on as North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck displays the ceremonial key to the new Amonix facility that Robertson gave her during a North Las Vegas City Hall press conference Tuesday announcing plans for the facility. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Sep. 5, 2010 | 11:43 p.m.
Sunny days that are common in the desert are perfect for the solar power systems that Amonix will manufacture at its new plant in North Las Vegas by the end of the year, creating nearly 300 jobs in a city with a 15.6 percent unemployment rate.
Southern Nevada is an ideal location for the concentrated photovoltaic systems made by Amonix and there's no question the region will see more development in solar technology, chief executive Brian Robertson said Tuesday during a news conference at North Las Vegas City Hall.
Amonix systems require no water in power production, make higher and better use of land, and produce more energy per acre than any other solar technology, he said.
Robertson said the company looked in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico before choosing North Las Vegas, first and foremost to manage shipping costs. Demand for Amonix products comes primarily from California and Southwestern states with a desert climate, he said.
Seal Beach, Calif.-based Amonix signed a five-year lease for 214,000 square feet in the Golden Triangle industrial park in North Las Vegas, near Pecos and Craig roads. Capital investment, including equipment, construction and tenant improvements, is estimated at $15 million to $16 million, Senior Vice President Vahid Ghassemian said.
Permits are in place for construction work to begin within the next couple of weeks and the plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year, he said.
All hiring will be done locally. The company will be placing advertisements in the Las Vegas Review-Journal and online at www.amonix.com.
Most of the jobs are on the factory floor, from machine operators to engineers. Other positions include office, accounting and supply. Pay range is $12 to $14 an hour for manufacturing jobs, and $50,000 to $100,000 a year for management positions, depending upon responsibilities, Ghassemian said.
The company anticipates doing a lot of training for the manufacturing jobs and received funding from the state to provide that training, he said.
Amonix is using $5.9 million of federal funding from the Recovery Act's Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit to build the North Las Vegas plant. It will have an annual production capacity of 150 megawatts, roughly equivalent to NV Energy's interest in the coal-powered Mojave Generating Station that was shut down for environmental reasons, Robertson said.
"Demand for solar energy is terrific," he said. "A lot of the Recovery Act money has helped companies like ours keep solar manufacturing at home."
Nevada Development Authority Vice President Chris Zunis estimated overall economic impact of $608 million from the Amonix plant, including $118 million in annual payroll, $10 million in local tax revenue and $2.5 million in state tax revenue.
"We have a great scenario for companies that not only produce solar power, but manufacture solar components," Zunis said. "We have available labor, a skilled and educated work force, which is a big selling point."
North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck said the City Council has made it a priority to bring long-term, sustainable jobs to one of the recession's hardest-hit cities. North Las Vegas is "open for business" with plenty of open space available for development, she said.
Amonix, established in 1989, raised $129 million in private funding in April from Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers, and $25 million prior to that from Goldman Sachs and MissionPoint Capital. The company also received a $15.6 million grant from the Department of Energy Solar American Initiative.
Robertson said more lenders for power-plant projects are coming back to the market, which he sees as a good sign for the economy.
Amonix has installed utility-scale solar systems at the Center for Energy Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the River Mountains water treatment plant in Henderson; and NV Energy's Clark Generation Station.
Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.
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jack.webb --- a new poll shows Obama's approval rating at 44%. By the time the election is held, it will be in the mid thirties. Your Uncle Reid doesn't stand a chance. Enjoy November, knucklehead.
OK, so do the math. $118 million divided by 300 =
$393,333.00. So either, this is definitely the job I want, OR the truth has been lost somewhere in translation. Good job on at least trying to do something. Not so good that its largely funded by tax dollars.
Quote:
"Demand for solar energy is terrific," he said. "A lot of the Recovery Act money has helped companies like ours keep solar manufacturing at home."
Not true. There is NO demand for solar energy except that which the government pays for via OUR tax dollars. Solar is completely uncompetitive in price. The only reason this company sells anything is because of government "credits", "rebates", and "incentives". All require OUR money.
Get real. Another scam from Obama and Reid and the greenies.
I'm just so impressed, I hate to ask but are all those jobs guaranteed to be our locals or are they coming in here from somewhere else.
I'm just as impressed that our unemployment is over 14% and said to be as high as 20% in some areas. Now I read where that equates to 193,300 people out of work.
Hey HARRY YOU ONLY HAVE 193,000 TO GO!
"Welcome back Harry" super colossal socialist joke, on innocent men, women and starving little children, weeping that their parents have no jobs. No doubt even have a bunch with flies buzzing around with no bug spray being used, because the parents have no money to buy any.
HARRY you should be asking for U.N. aid.
Anyone seen or heard from all of our allies including the U.N. I understand we're still giving foreign aid out like candy Harry. Don't you think this country is now foreign enough that you should be asking for that aid?
We're still at the bottom 5 for receiving government aid Harry. Thought you were such a big shot.
Big mouth is more like it.
Jack.Webb is Harry Reid's lap dog he is writing to affect your vote. If you are happy with Harry Reid, do as Mr. Webb would have you do. If you are tired of corruption and 20% unemployment and think Harry Reid is not representative of Nevadans values, vote for Sharron Angle and start the change here. If Sharron Angle does not produce, we can voter her out too. But her frank views are a lot more honest than Dirty Harry's. And I for one am sick of this man.
Harry, you're done. I can't wait for November.
Good news !
But wow, $12 -$14 for manufacturing jobs, hopefully things will get better.
Way to go! If you think negative, you will get negative results.
A new poll from Public Policy Polling finds that 68 percent of voters see Angle's views as "extremist" as compared to 22 percent who feel that her beliefs are "mainstream."
Reid currently leads Angle in the Nevada Senate race by 8 points, according to a Mason-Dixon survey released last week.
Republicans can never be satisfied
Given the time Harry will drive this company along with the handful of jobs they created clean out of the state.