Jul 15, 2008 6:01 pm US/Eastern
Mass. Solar Plant Brightens Dark Economy
DEVENS (WBZ) ―
A solar panel company generating hundreds of new jobs celebrated the opening of a new plant in Devens with a ribbon cutting attended by Gov. Deval Patrick Tuesday.
During a media tour of the plant, the reflection of workers in windows encasing robotics equipment prompted one observer to consider that new manufacturing jobs seem like a dream of the past.
Around the corner from the plant, on Main Street in Ayer, a black and white 1960 Corvette passed on a day when General Motors announces more layoffs. A shirtless man passed the brick sidewalk on a bicycle. It was Jeff Mandarano who hit the bricks eight months ago when he lost his construction job to the economy.
"It's pretty miserable. It's going down the drain slowly but surely. Everybody's losing their jobs," he said.
But down the road, in Devens, Evergreen Solar has opened one of the largest solar panel factories in North America. It will employ 700 to 800 people. Gov. Patrick spoke at the ceremony.
"We love the jobs. We love the jobs." One of the workers on the tour agreed. "So I love it." Another chimed in, "I don't think solar's going anywhere," meaning she feels secure in her job.
If this is more than a bright spot in a dark economy, if this is the future in manufacturing jobs, how will the economy affect its future?
The governor responds, "All economies are cyclical. All of them. And this cycle will end, and we want to be as well prepared as possible to take full advantage of the end of that cycle when it comes."
So the governor signed a sweeping bill a few weeks ago to grow green energy in Massachusetts.
Evergreen Solar will make enough of its trademarked string ribbon panels every year to power 23,000 homes. C.E.O. Richard Feldt says his payroll will exceed $44 million a year.
Back on the brick sidewalk, WBZ's Ron Sanders asked Jeff Mandarano, "Would you consider looking for a job down there? What do you think about that?"
"I was actually thinking of getting back into the union and trying to get a job with that company," Mandarano answered.
The company still has about 300 openings and, by 2009, expects to employ 1,000 people in Massachusetts.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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