Nov 5, 2009 5:41 pm US/Eastern
Company Gets State Aid, Then Moves Jobs To China
MARLBOROUGH (WBZ) ―
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Evergreen Solar Inc. (file image)
WBZ
Evergreen Solar Inc. is a green technology company the Patrick administration wooed with tens of millions of dollars in grants, loans and tax incentives.
Gov. Patrick cut the ribbon when the company opened this facility in Devens-- where some 800 workers make silicon wafers and cells, and assemble solar panels.
15-months later, Evergreen says it's going to move the assembly process to China, where labor is cheaper.
According to a company statement, "The price for solar panels has fallen more than 30 percent since mid-2008 making it very challenging for solar manufacturers located in high-cost regions to remain price competitive."
A company spokesman says it's too early to know how many jobs might be lost.
Governor Patrick said, "I am disappointed, of course to see their manufacturing or much of it is moving to China. That's happening to solar panel manufacturers all over the country right now."
Some people in the Devens area aren't pleased with the news. Said one woman, "We need to build our economy not ship it away."
But the governor and other administration officials maintain that even with this development, Evergreen has been a good investment.
Energy and Environment Secretary Ian Bowles said, "They committed to staffing levels of 350 under that deal and right now they're much closer to 1,000, so they're well out beyond what they committed to with the state and they've made it clear they're going to remain above what they committed to us."
According to Evergreen's statement, "Beginning in the middle of 2010, we will begin to transition our Devens-based panel assembly to China. We expect that transition to be completed by the end of 2010. The core of our manufacturing - our wafer fabrication - as well as our solar cell fabrication will continue in Devens. Evergreen Solar remains committed to the investment it has made in Massachusetts. Marlboro is the home of our company headquarters and R&D facilities. Devens will continue to be our U.S. manufacturing location for wafers and cells and our staffing plans will remain well within the employment commitments we made to the state when we first announced our plans to build the Devens facility."
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