Suntech, a China-based manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar modules, will locate a manufacturing facility in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. The company says in a statement that it plans to employ 75 full-time workers at launch and double the staff within a year. "Bringing manufacturing jobs to the U.S. is part of Suntech's vision to grow the solar market in every corner of the world," says Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's chair and CEO. "This is the first step in what I see as a long-term, strategic investment in the North American market." Suntech says it chose the Phoenix area because of the state's leadership in research through Arizona State University and for statewide renewable energy policies. The Phoenix Business Journal says the governor of Arizona is scheduled to make the formal announcement today; the deal is the first since the state passed incentives to lure solar manufacturers to the state.
