4 More Companies Join Scenic Hill’s American Made, Arkansas Built Initiative

Scenic Hill Solar of Little Rock and its CEO, former Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, announced that four U.S. based renewable energy manufacturers are participating in a program Halter announced more than a year ago: the American Made, Arkansas Built Initiative.

Scenic Hill calls it “a unique initiative to restore American preeminence in solar photovoltaic and battery storage technologies deployed in Arkansas and beyond.”

The new participants are Array Technologies, Shoals Technologies, OMCO Solar, and APA Solar Racking.

The four companies double the number of enterprises in the initiative, which aims to maximize the use of American-made equipment, software and technology in the renewable energy industry.

Solar power plants owned by Scenic Hill Solar are now being used as testing labs, demonstration facilities for the project, encouraging collaboration by leading American renewable energy companies.

“With our nine premier partners in the American Made, Arkansas Built Initiative, we are

pushing for a restoration of American leadership in renewable energy,” Halter said in a news release. “The solar industry began in the United States but then manufacturing shifted

overseas. Our partnership with these leading American companies will help bring the industry

back home to America by focusing on innovation and collaboration among the premier

American manufacturers of solar equipment and batteries.”

He said a strong group of American manufacturers would lead the way to greater energy independence, strengthen national security and solve many global supply chain problems.

“It also increases economic development and high-paying jobs for American workers powered by the explosive growth of renewable energy industries,” Halter said.

Array Technologies of Albuquerque is a leading provider of utility-scale solar tracking technology. Shoals Technologies of Portland, Tennessee, provides electrical balance of systems solutions for solar, storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. OMCO Solar of Phoenix is a leading domestic factory-direct manufacturer of solar trackers and fixed-tilt equipment for distributed generation and utility scale projects. APA Solar Racking of Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, is a family-owned company founded in 2008 as a spin-off of its world–class automotive parent company, Alex Products Inc.

Array Technologies CEO Kevin Hostetler said in the release that the U.S. is rising to the challenge of expanding the domestic supply chain in renewable energy.

“Array has been in the vanguard of U.S. renewable energy manufacturing since our founding as a solar tracker company more than 30 years ago,” he said in the release. “Arkansas

is poised to boost solar power and we’re driven to be a part of this outstanding market.”

Brandon Moss, CEO of Shoals Technologies, said the companies in the initiative are working together to build more solar power plants “in Arkansas and across the nation.” 

Gary Schuster, CEO of OMCO Solar, said in a statement that his company has a 68-year history in domestic manufacturing. “Arkansas has been a growing solar market for us and a great example of what is possible to lift the solar industry, U.S. manufacturing, and create jobs with renewable energy,” Schuster said.

Josh Von Deylen, CEO of APA Solar, said his company produces all of its solar racking products in America.  “This program unites American manufacturers together to promote job creation through all channels of the solar industry, ” he said in the news release. “APA hopes to continue this partnership in this initiative for years to come and we are excited to be accepted into the program.”

These four companies have joined the initiative along with five prominent manufacturers based in the United States that specialize in solar equipment, lithium-ion battery cells, and energy

storage solutions:  First Solar, Yaskawa Solectria Solar, Nextracker, Zekelman Industries, and KORE Power.