Boviet Solar announces first North American facility in NC, creating 900 jobs and $300m investment

A Vietnamese-based solar panel manufacturing firm called Boviet Solar has announced plans to build its first North American facility in eastern North Carolina. The new 1 million square foot advanced manufacturing site, located around 85 miles east of Raleigh in Greenville, is expected to create over 900 jobs and will cost the company almost $300m. Founded in 2013, Boviet makes solar panels and photovoltaic cells that are already used by commercial, industrial and residential customers across America. The new facility aims to help increase worldwide capacity for high-end solar modules and photovoltaic panels. Speaking about the move, CEO Jimmy Xie said: “We are proud of bringing our manufacturing excellence to our most important solar market, creating jobs, and making a positive impact on North Carolina’s economy.” The new positions will pay an average annual salary of $52,879 – slightly above Pitt County’s average. Boviet also considered alternative sites for the factory in Phoenix and Atlanta before finally selecting Greenville due to factors including land prices and tax credits offered by local authorities. Earlier on Friday (13 May), a state panel approved cash incentives of up to $8.3m over 12 years if specific employment thresholds are met – these include employing an initial 94 staff at the factory and retaining more than half those employed for six consecutive quarters following three subsequent fiscal year halves when a minimum workforce is sustained throughout each quarterly period. The combined state and local incentives being offered to Boviet come in at $34.6m, according to figures provided by North Carolina’s Department of Commerce. Another Vietnamese company – electric car manufacturer VinFast – has also announced plans for a new factory in Chatham County that is expected to create thousands more jobs.