Samco Solar is a division of Samco Machinery Ltd., an Ontario-based equipment and part manufacturer strongly focused on the automotive industry.
"Ontario's Green Energy Act has established our province as a beachhead in the clean energy economy," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "It has already attracted CAD$16 billion in renewable energy investment, which will help create a projected 36,000 jobs."
Since 2008, Samco has reportedly experienced a 63 percent decline in their automotive sales, which has resulted in a 37 percent decline in its workforce, says SunEdison. This new contract, however, is expected create a 25 percent increase in Samco's labor force, generating 15 to 18 permanent jobs. The balance of the new jobs will stem from the build out of SunEdisons commercial rooftop projects.
"This contract and the feed-in tariff program of the Ontario government have helped to stimulate growth in our company," says David A. Pichard, VP Solar Business Development at Samco Machinery Ltd. "Working with a solar powerhouse like Sunedison has provided our organization with a significant opportunity for expansion into the green energy sector."
Retooling of the Samco plant has already begun. Using SunEdison's proprietary design, the first solar racking is expected to come off the line this September. SunEdison says it also foresees exporting the solar racking equipment to the U.S market.
"We've been very pleased with the manufacturing expertise in the province as demonstrated by Samco," said Jason Gray, vice president, Canada for SunEdison. "Production of the racking is extremely cost competitive here in Ontario, enabling us to produce product for U.S. export."
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