Power-One opens first U.S. manufacturing plant in Phoenix

California-based Power-One, the world’s second-largest manufacturer of power inverters for the renewable energy industry, will open its first North American manufacturing facility in Phoenix.

Power-One is the sixth renewable energy company to move to Greater Phoenix since January because of the state’s landmark Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Program. The company is the 12^th to move an operation from California to Arizona in the last two years.

Power-One announced its move during a Thursday press conference at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council with Gov. Jan Brewer, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, and GPEC Chairman Michael Bidwill.

The company will employ 350 workers at its 120,000 square foot facility and provide a capital investment of up to $40 million over time.

Interest in the jobs is already high, said Richard Thompson, Power-One’s president and CEO.

Production will begin next month.

Power-One’s new Phoenix facility will manufacture photovoltaic and wind inverters. The company’s inverters make electricity from solar and wind sources usable for residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar and wind markets.

Capacity will reach 1 gigawatt by the middle of next year.

Power-One is a growing company. It recently achieved record net sales of $215 million for 2010’s second quarter, a 135 percent increase from the same time last year.

Power-One has 11 percent of the global photovoltaic inverter market share, according to IMS Research.

Support from Brewer, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council helped to draw Power-One to Greater Phoenix, Thompson said.  Arizona State University and the region’s strong workforce also appealed to the company, he said.

"….We are confident that Phoenix is the best place for Power-One to establish its first manufacturing base in the U.S.," Thompson said.

Brewer’s assistance in signing the Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Program and supporting Power-One during its evaluation process were instrumental in the company’s decision to move to Greater Phoenix, said Barry Broome, GPEC’s president and CEO.

“Power-One brings the quality jobs I am committed to attracting for Arizonans,” Brewer said. “Power-One is one more significant milestone along Arizona’s path toward strengthening our market position in the global solar industry.”

Power-One’s move comes on the heels of Business Facilities magazine’s recent ranking of Arizona as the country’s Renewable Energy Leader, a validation of GPEC’s aggressive approach to building the state’s renewable energy industry, Bidwill said.

“Momentum in Arizona’s renewable energy industry is solidifying the state as the Solar Capital and Power-One will be a dynamic addition to the cluster of renewable energy services already available in Greater Phoenix,” Bidwill said.

Phoenix welcomes the high-quality jobs, the mayor said.

“Power-One's decision to open this facility in the Valley of the Sun is not only great for the economy, it also brings us a step closer to turning Phoenix into a solar city,” Gordon said. "This move creates 350 new high-wage jobs, fills vacant industrial space and places a top solar company in our city, where we're working hard to harness this renewable energy and technology for a greener Phoenix."

Power-Once has expanded its capacity with the recent launch of its Canadian facility and the expansion of its European plant, which will reach more than 4 gigawatts by the end of the year.

The company also plans to launch Chinese production later this year with products for Asian markets.