The sun shone brightly, as did the City of Riverside’s reputation as an attractive corporate home for renewable energy companies, when Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey visited SolarMax Technology to welcome its new tenant SunSpark Technology, Inc. The Asian-led company, which manufactures and assembles solar panels, has announced plans to establish its base of operations at the SolarMax complex, initially adding some 80 new jobs to the local economy.
“Having had the pleasure and opportunity to get to know this company, both personally and professionally, I couldn’t be more excited to help them learn and experience what makes our community special”
Leadership from both companies met with Mayor Bailey and International Relations Officer Lalit Acharya during an industry briefing and tour at SolarMax headquarters. It was the group’s first reunion since they met during a City of Riverside-sponsored trade mission to China in March, 2014.
SunSpark chose Riverside for its base of operations, influenced in large part by the growth SolarMax has achieved in the Inland Empire, as well as the area expanding educational and public infrastructure to support renewable energy companies. Another key factor: personal outreach efforts by the Mayor and a consortium of business leaders, including SolarMax CEO David Hsu and Executive Vice President Ching Liu, to share the region’s interest in building business, educational and cultural exchanges with China.
“Having had the pleasure and opportunity to get to know this company, both personally and professionally, I couldn’t be more excited to help them learn and experience what makes our community special,” said Ms. Liu. They’re going to be a wonderful corporate neighbor and make significant economic and cultural contributions to this region.”
SolarMax is providing 35,000 square feet of space within its 165,000 square-foot facility to accommodate SunSpark. The new company is expected to eventually bring more than 100 jobs to the local economy. Their co-location arrangement with SolarMax will not only produce operating efficiencies for both companies, but perhaps more important, help SunSpark leadership learn how to capitalize on the region’s unique strengths.
Mayor Bailey said, “With the cutting-edge renewable energy research & development programs underway at UC-Riverside, low-cost water and electricity from Riverside Public Utilities and, naturally, our abundance of sunshine, we have a great story to tell. Seeing a company like SunSpark choose to put its corporate roots down in Riverside tells me our message is resonating with business leaders overseas. We are thrilled to welcome them to our beautiful city and look forward to working with them and SolarMax to support their mutual growth.”
About SolarMax Technology, Inc.
Founded in 2008, SolarMax Technology specializes in residential solar systems. The Riverside, California-based company continues to be one of the fastest growing companies in its space, having installed more than 4,800 systems since inception. It employs a workforce of 164 professionals across its Southern California base of operations, which also includes offices in Diamond Bar, Temecula, and San Diego.