Twin Creeks, Kior, Stion.... the names roll off the tongue more easily after awhile as the list of failed alternative energy experiments grows longer. Jack Weatherly reported in the Mississippi Business Journal reported solar panel manufacturer Stion will probably not meet its goal of creating 1,000 jobs after receiving a $75 million loan from Mississippi:
The Stion Corp. is struggling to reach its agreed-on goal of creating 1,000 jobs turning out solar panels in Hattiesburg.
There are 110 jobs in Hattiesburg and a companywide total of 147 for the San Jose, Calif.-based company, Vice President for Business Development Frank Yang said this week.
However, that original goal, set in 2012 and given six years, may have changed. A spokesman for the Mississippi Development Authority said on Tuesday that there is an amended memorandum of understanding with Stion....
Stion was one of four alternative-energy project funded during the administration of former Gov. Haley Barbour. Among other projects launched primarily because of the support from Barbour, who served two, four-year terms ending in 2012, was Twin Creeks Technologies in Senatobia, in which the state invested $27.7 million but which never produced marketable solar panels and did did not come close to its commitment to create 1,500 jobs. It closed in late 2012.... Rest of article.
A 2011 Stion press release on its website states:
Stion, a manufacturer of high-efficiency thin-film solar panels, will build a new production facility in Mississippi as part of an incentive agreement with the state that includes a $75 million loan and other tax and training incentives. The project, which will be the first thin-film solar panel factory in Mississippi, will deliver more than 1,000 jobs and $500 million of investment over the next six years.
The first phase of the project includes a 100 MW line planned for Hattiesburg, Miss., which will entail more than $100 million of investment and 200 direct jobs in 2011 and 2012.
“Today’s announcement that Stion is locating a thin film solar panel manufacturing facility in Hattiesburg is further proof that Mississippi is an ideal location for clean energy companies to locate and expand,” Governor Haley Barbour said. “I am pleased to welcome Stion to Mississippi, and I thank the company for creating so many high-quality jobs for Mississippi’s workers.”
“Together, the state of Mississippi, Forrest County, and the city of Hattiesburg offer a business-friendly location with a strong resource base for manufacturing,” said Chet Farris, Stion’s President and CEO. “In partnering with them, we are pleased to help address this country’s energy needs with clean technology, and support the region’s and the nation’s economy.”
The MOU is posted below.
18 comments:
Why haven't we heard anything new about KIOR - about how much money the State of Mississippi has lost on the failed plant. KIOR is much worse than the Beef Plant that was passed under the democrats. Now we have the solar plant, KIOR and god knows what else that was praised by both Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant! Instead of giving tax cuts to big corporations, give tax break to the average joe - no taxes on groceries for example! A tax cut on groceries would put 7% of the money spent on groceries back into the economy - growing Mississippi, not for big corporations1
It's not in Haley's cap so it must be (fill in the blank).
@ July 15, 2016 at 8:30 AM
The asshats on the hill are anti-worker. Thats why Mississippi is right to work! They've been pulling this garbage since 1865!
They don't give a damn about the common man - they only care about the aristocratic descendants of the cotton boom! They want to keep them rich and make sure the podunk whites and ghetto blacks never unite!
The minute those two groups get together, things would change SWIFTLY!
Sick and tired of being sick and tired! But eliminating the grocery tax is damn good idea and would be a good place for them to start if they did car about working families!
Here's a pro tip for our illustrious leaders:
Only two kinds of big companies want to come to Mississippi: (1) heavy manufacturers looking for the lowest possible labor cost, regardless of poor quality workers; and (2) shitty, bottom-of-the-barrel companies in other industries who can't survive without huge government subsidies.
The former may work out okay, or may not. The latter will ALWAYS be con jobs. They are BY DEFINITION the weakest, worst players in their respective industries. If they weren't, they would be setting up shop anywhere but Mississippi, and would not be asking for handouts.
Here's the thing- you either support taxpayer incentives for businesses or you don't. You can't pick and choose, especially after the fact.
Who is stupider, the state legislature or the Jackson city council? Also you can substitute the word most dishonest for the word stupider.
Feel bears responsibility too. He was LT Gov and made sure it was approved.
HMMMMM........so there may be truth to governments are best suited to provide protection / infrastructure / and welfare of its people, and maybe government should realize that it is not intended to be a "job creator / developer / private business finance corporation" for the private sector.......How much more failed enterprise will we be asked to finance for our state, and at what point do those that arranged these deals become culpable for the dollars wasted?
Very good idea on the elimination of taxes on groceries.
Ms. does not have much to attract any business. The work pool is mostly unskilled. Education is the worst in the U.S. A company that uses unskilled workers has a better chance of success. A company that requires a trained work force has little chance.
Our politicians, both democrats and republicans, continue to be elected and reelected by paying companies who have very little chance of succeeding to come to Ms. Of course the politician gets some walking around money in the deal.
With Ms., being at the bottom of the list in education, many of the people do not realize what is happening and refuse to believe it even after they are shown the results. Some how the same politicians have some one else to blame. With someone to blame the people allow the same politicians to repeat the same thing with the same results. This only adds to the hatred for the group the politician blames for their failures in other shady deals.
That is the Ms. way. Not likely to change as the education system will not change and we will always be at the bottom of the list.
Well, got news for you fellas. Every single major two-faced RINO officeholder, including Cochran, Wicker and Harper, supported those Barbour disasters. Cochran, of course, from the safe confines of his employee landlady's basement.
@ July 15, 2016 at 9:16 AM - well said!
@ July 15, 2016 at 9:35 AM - I'm definitely against tax incentives for corporations - its cut through the shenanigans corporate welfare
@ July 15, 2016 at 9:50 AM - well the state legislature gets the nod on this one - they are a bigger body and their decisions affect the whole state - especially when our credit rating is shot and we are working with a deficit. The Jackson City council has its short comings. But at least they are trying to be progressive with the city. But what can you do to improve things when there's no money in till to make improvements in house?
@ July 15, 2016 at 9:52 AM - well said!
@ July 15, 2016 at 10:12 AM - well said as well! It's like I said earlier - you take blue collar whites and blue collar blacks in Mississippi - you'll have something going there. There is definitely they have something in common - they are robbing peter to pay paul and the people that's elected to make sure they can enjoy life in peace in harmony, are treating them as the enemy pitting them against each other - while not being accountable for solutions!
@ July 15, 2016 at 10:12:30 AM - "Ms. does not have much to attract any business." - that's very true - but what it is, is the last frontier for many americans - Americans want to see this place change for the better - its untapped travel and entertainment venues here. But the legislators want to keep them out - because they are afraid of the loyal subjects awakening and removing them from power. This state is due for an awakening and its time to break up the status quo
Anyone have any info on HCL Cleantech/Virdia/Stora Enso, the company that received about $200 million during Haley's green jobs push? They were supposed to have at least 3 facilities open in MS by 2015.
Sorry Charlie, but 'right to work' is what's kept this state from becoming Chicago (as if it's not already). Shame it was needed in the first place. Can you imagine forcing people to join a damned union if they accept a job? Either join or hit the pavement!
Most of you goobs have no clue what 'right to work' is or does. It allows me to decide if I want to join a union or if I'm forced to contribute part of my weekly wage to the bass boat fund for district union reps.
4:18, try that right to work at the shipyard in Pascagoula. You will not get a job if you do not belong to the union.
@ July 15, 2016 at 4:18 PM
"It allows me to decide if I want to join a union or if I'm forced to contribute part of my weekly wage to the bass boat fund for district union reps."
And with that mentality, that's how and why CEO and executive salaries have gone up exponentially in the last 30 years, especially in the south. That is why Nissan workers in Canton are the lowest paid autoworkers in America, because of that very mentality.
At least being in a Union - you have the ability to negotiate your wages in a timely fashion, as opposed to someone who is non-union. Sure if you are non-union you can go to your supervisor and request a pay raise, but its at their discretion of when and where you can receive that pay raise. Union's were the ones who installed so many fringe benefits in our society that union bashers take them for granted. Sick leave, vacation time, set schedules, over-time pay, maternity leave, health-care. These items were not created out of the kindness of upper management - these things were bartered upon and agreed due to collective bargaining!
Hell, it even helps management set a higher precedent for productivity when a new collective bargaining agreement is made. Its a win/win for management and labor.
But of course many people down here do not understand that aspect - we lack general business acumen - because we have been raised to believe unions are bad. The Chicago Mafia machine. Those are fear tactics to suppress wages and upward mobility. Look at our workforce in Mississippi - under-educated and unattractive to big business. That's why our economy is stuck in the mud. We do not know how to weigh the positives and negatives and see things from a broader perspective.
It's a pity as solar power could actually work here, especially in the Delta.
Of course, if our illustrious State leaders can't bother to learn anything about an industry before handing out our tax dollars , then this is what we get.
If we keep electing those who will be marks for every con artist that comes in with a slick " sales" plan, it's on us.
@ July 16, 2016 at 8:29 AM
"If we keep electing those who will be marks for every con artist that comes in with a slick " sales" plan, it's on us."
Well stated!!! Couldn't have said it better myself
8:29, if a mark is the only thing we had to worry about. On top of that we have to contend with the crooked politicians. I shouldn't even have to add the word crooked. Crookedpolitician should be one word.
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