Giving Schott facility another shot

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A new company plans on giving the Schott Solar manufacturing facility in Mesa Del Sol another shot. The company taking over is McCune Solar Works. The company has been here in New Mexico for seven years and will  continue manufacturing the Schott solar panel, but also continue building its own products.

Company President, Chuck McCune says the Schott product is superior and that's a gift Schott gave to New Mexico. The company will be renamed Hott Solar PV and they won't be taking incentives or revenue bonds. McCune says his company has an advantage, because they are moving into an existing factory.  In addition, McCune's company will be building green products they've already been working on-like emergency housing units that are brought in after disasters and an affordable electric car.

So how will Hott Solar PV compete with the cheaper Chinese solar panels that have inundated the U.S. Market?  Senior Vice President, Gary Gunthorpe says they will be offering the "Power New Mexico" program that has price incentives for the high quality solar systems to the public and in particular for commercial, utility and government entities.

The final closing date on the deal is October 31st. Hott Solar hopes to be in full production early next year and hire 130 employees, many of them former employees of Schott Solar. Most of those employees will be paid $50,000 annually.