Chinese based solar panel company opens new facility in Jacksonville today

Jacksonville, FL — It’s a project that started in October 2017 and is now coming to life.

Jinko Solar, a solar panel company, has opened their new U.S. headquarters Tuesday on Jacksonville's westside, near Normandy and the First Coast Expressway. The investment in the city will bring in about 200 new jobs. The company's general manager in the U.S., Nigel Cockroft, says the city and state of Florida were very supportive of the company coming to Jacksonville.

“The city is incredibly business oriented.” Cockroft says.

He says the company was attracted to Jacksonville for a few reasons, one was the business climate and also because the city has a skilled workforce.

“This is an advance technology factory with a lot of high-speed robotics and A.I. and things like that and we feel like we can get the workforce that we need, the skilled workforce that we need, in Jacksonville.” Cockroft says.

He says the high-skilled military veteran talent pool was also attractive to the company.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry says today is a big day for the city.

“When companies decide to expand or relocate here, obviously talent is most important, and we have talent that attracts folks.” Curry says.

So far, Cockroft says more than 150 of the 200 positions at the new facility have been filled with the rest of them expected to be filled over the next couple of months.

Jinko Solar is based in Shanghai, China, and as trade talks between the two countries continue, Cockroft says the company is keeping a close eye on where talks go. He says no matter what happens with those talks, Jinko Solar thinks they have made the right decision opening up a new facility in Jacksonville.

Cockroft says the company could expand its operations in the future, but first they need to see how efficient the new facility operates before any possible decision is made.