Jan 17, 2024
Latest company growth announced while exhibiting at the January 2024 Intersolar showcase in San Diego, CA.
SYLVANIA, Ohio - Jan. 17, 2024 - PRLog -- Continuing its commitment to excellence as a supplier, Ice Industries (Ice) has been awarded an additional long-term contract supplying solar panel components to First Solar, Inc. (FSLR), the largest US-headquartered photovoltaic (PV) solar manufacturer. Under the agreement, Ice expects to invest up to $9.8 million in a new facility in Louisiana to exclusively supply steel back rails for solar modules produced by First Solar's new vertically integrated manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, which is expected to start commercial shipments by the first half of 2026.
The new Ice facility in Louisiana is expected to create up to 110 new jobs and is the company's second roll forming facility dedicated to supplying First Solar with high quality back rails for its Series 7 modules. In 2022, Ice established its Bowling Green, Ohio facility, representing an investment of $9 million and the creation of 120 new jobs, to supply First Solar's manufacturing footprint in Lake Township, Ohio with back rails made with 100% American steel.
"First Solar already sets the bar for domestic supply chains in the solar industry, as we produce our Series 7 modules with 100% US-made glass and steel and source the majority of our components from our network of domestic suppliers," said Mike Koralewski, chief supply chain officer, First Solar. "And as we scale, our supply chains must scale with us, supporting our expansion in Louisiana and Alabama while also supplementing the impact of investments by creating jobs and economic value. We are pleased to extend our partnership with Ice, bringing additional investment and jobs to Louisiana."
Ice currently plans to initiate production in the first half of 2025. A comprehensive site selection process is currently underway.
"We very much appreciate this vote of confidence, allowing Ice to again partner with First Solar, a great American company, and a leader in the global solar industry. We are excited to make yet another considerable investment in capital and people, while continuing to grow our presence in this exciting market. Both companies share the goal of showcasing technological and manufacturing expertise to meet the world's growing demand for alternative energy sources," stated Howard Ice, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ice Industries.
Ice Industries has participated in the clean energy market for many years, having supplied high volumes of various balance of system components for multiple utility-scale solar farms throughout the U.S.
About Ice Industries
Ice Industries, Inc. is a world-class supplier with a broad range of capabilities including: deep draw metal stamping; CNC machining; MIG, TIG, and resistance welding; assembly; rolled and welded pressure vessels, large format enclosures, high volume blanking, automated roll forming, and powder coating. Customers are assured of both company stability and quality performance through a diversified customer base serving markets including HVAC-R, automotive, commercial and heavy truck, alternative energy, filtration, fire & safety, furniture, healthcare, and off-highway vehicles. Facilities are distributed throughout the central manufacturing corridor, with locations in Mason, Toledo, and Bowling Green, Ohio; Grenada, Mississippi; and Apodaca/Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Ice's production facilities are ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and TS 19649 certified. Ice works with companies that require the highest levels of quality and delivery, and those who are in need of localization or de-integration of their stamping operations. Further information can be obtained on the Ice website at http://www.iceindustries.com.
Walk into any pitch meeting, attend any LP conference, or read any VC blog, and you’ll be handed the same well-worn gospel: build diverse teams, move fast, be transparent, hire for culture, flatten hierarchies, and always be learning. This is the catechism of the modern venture capitalist, wisdom dispensed freely, with conviction, to the founders […] The post The advice gap: Why VCs don’t practice what they preach appeared first on e27.
For years, companies have treated Google rankings as the front door to online discovery. A new study from Manila-based digital marketing agency Spiralytics suggests that door is no longer the only one that matters. As consumers increasingly ask ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Perplexity for product recommendations, comparisons and buying advice, brands face a new visibility […] The post Why Philippine companies are winning AI mentions but losing control of context appeared first on e27.
The cryptocurrency sector is moving higher in a coordinated fashion. Bitcoin rose 1.70 per cent to US$85,002.11 over the past 24 hours. The total crypto market climbed 1.16 per cent to US$2.89T. This advance rests on two powerful forces. Institutional optimism and policy progress are working together. The result is a rally that looks more […] The post The October 2 US jobs report lands soon. Could it make or break Bitcoin’s rally? appeared first on e27.
AI has made it much easier for decision-makers to work with information. A company announcement can be summarised in seconds, a long annual report can be condensed, and a chatbot can help compare competitors or explain an unfamiliar industry. These are useful improvements, but they still solve only part of the information problem. Most AI […] The post The next information advantage is knowing what changed appeared first on e27.
For many startup founders, the first attempt to understand the cost of artificial intelligence (AI) begins in the wrong place: the model provider’s pricing page. They calculate the price of input and output tokens, compare one model against another, and try to forecast usage as if AI were a simple utility meter. That approach may […] The post The hidden economics of autonomous AI agents appeared first on e27.
Talking about artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is no longer a discussion about the future, but about the present. According to IMDA’s latest data, SMEs’ AI adoption rate has more than tripled in just one year: 14.5 per cent of SMEs have adopted AI as compared to 62.5 per […] The post SMEs adopt AI four times slower than big business, the fix starts with the PC appeared first on e27.
Every comparison site promises to find you a better deal. Jonathan Honig thinks it’s time MoneyHero found one for itself. On 29 September, the investor, who says he owns about 9 per cent of MoneyHero’s Class A shares, published an open letter asking the board to hire an independent adviser and explore a sale. Honig’s […] The post MoneyHero’s activist investor wants a sale. Richard Li holds the real vote appeared first on e27.
Vivo has unveiled the X Fold6 globally, combining a book-style foldable design with flagship hardware and a ZEISS-powered camera system.
WhatsApp’s new parental controls are designed to give parents more oversight while keeping teens’ personal messages private.
Indonesia’s agritech sector looks different in 2026 than it did when TaniHub raised its Series B in 2021. The cohort of platforms that emerged in the late 2010s — TaniHub, Crowde, iGrow, Sayurbox, and others — aimed to do for smallholder agriculture what fintech had done for SME credit: build technology infrastructure for a segment […] The post The agritech credit paradox: Lessons from TaniHub and Indonesia’s first agritech generation appeared first on e27.
The leading Democrat on the House's select committee to investigate the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is calling on the U.S.'s leading artificial intelligence labs for information on Beijing's alleged efforts to steal model weights from their firms. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, requested data Thursday...
The firm managing President Trump’s $TRUMP meme coin announced it is hosting an “exclusive” gala for the top 185 holders of the coin, featuring the president as a speaker. “An evening with 3 Legends and President Donald J. Trump — plus a private meet & greet with a legend to be announced,” the description of...
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.