(The Center Square) — The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits for a solar panel manufacturer establishing York County operations.
Silfab Solar, which has its corporate office in Mississauga, Ontario, is leasing a 785,000-square-foot building on Logistics Lane in Fort Mill, where it plans to manufacture next-generation solar cell technology, which it says will boost domestic solar cell production.
The company plans to spend $150 million on the facility and create 800 jobs. The council also awarded York County a $2 million Set-Aside grant to help pay for building improvement costs.
“The company specifically chose York County as the ideal location to expand because of the community’s commitment to innovation, its quality of life and the availability of a skilled workforce,” Silfab Solar CEO Paolo Maccario said in an announcement.
According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the value of JDCs depends on the wage rate paid to employees and the tier ranking of the county. Since the credits are performance-based, the company may not collect them until they have reached their investment and job creation requirements.
Silfab Solar designs and manufactures high-efficiency solar panels for residential and commercial use. The company operates two facilities in Washington state and one in the Toronto area; it expects to start its Palmetto State operations in the third quarter of 2024.
“Silfab Solar selecting York County for a project that requires a highly skilled workforce shows that our workforce development investments are paying off in a big way,” Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, said in an announcement. “Our people are South Carolina’s greatest resource, and we are confident they will help Silfab Solar thrive in its latest venture.”
