Just last week, SunEdison VP Jason Gray
told us that his company planned to create jobs in the GTA through contracting locally -- and already the proof of that statement is showing. At a media event last Friday, provincial minister of energy Brad Duguid toured the Scarborough plant of
Samco Solar, where racking equipment to supply SunEdison's solar installations will be manufactured.
Since the 1970s, Samco has been in the auto parts manufacturing business. But as a result of a
contract with SunEdison and, according to company VP David Pritchard, the provincial government's incentives to grow the renewable energy industry, the company has adapted its plant to manufacture solar equipment. "Ontario's commitment to adding new sources of renewable energy has helped stimulate our business and create manufacturing jobs," says Pritchard. "Working with a solar powerhouse like SunEdison has provided Samco with a significant opportunity for expansion."
The retooling is expected to create 60 jobs at the Scarborough plant -- a fact that Duguid called a "great success story" for the new sustainable economy in the province.
Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: David Pritchard, Samco; Office of Brad Duguid; Jason Gray, SunEdison