Twin Creeks officially opens solar panel manufacturing plant

SENATOBIA — Gov. Haley Barbour was in attendance yesterday for the opening of Twin Creeks Technologies Inc., a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar panels.

In April 2010, Barbour and Twin Creeks’ CEO Dr. Siva Sivaram announced the company would be constructing its first 100-megawatt manufacturing facility in Senatobia.

The new plant will create 500 jobs, in two phases, over a five-year period and represents a corporate investment of $175 million.

The opening of the factory marks the successful entry of the renewable energy company into northern Mississippi.

Barbour said, “This innovative company is a prime example of the types of businesses we are recruiting — advanced manufacturing with high-quality, high-paying jobs for Mississippi workers in growing sectors such as energy.”

“The vital support of the local community throughout the speedy completion of phase one of construction has reinforced our decision to select Senatobia, Miss., for our first production facility,” said Twin Creeks vice president of operations Reza Nikfar.

With the opening of the Senatobia facility, Twin Creeks completes the first step in meeting its commitment to northern Mississippi. Since breaking ground less than one year ago, 150 local workers have been employed in construction of the factory. In addition, approximately 70 percent of the resources used to complete phase one of construction were locally sourced.

Construction of the new facility will continue over the next four-to-five years, resulting in a 250,000-square-foot manufacturing site upon completion.

Staffing the operation will require talent from local academic institutions such as Northwest Mississippi Community College, the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University. Twin Creeks has established four scholarships for math, engineering and materials science students at these schools in an effort to support a locally hired workforce.

Source: Gov. Haley Barbour