Less than nine months after beginning production at its new Albuquerque facility, SCHOTT Solar announced the expansion of its photovoltaic (PV) module production line. PV production will double, from two shifts to four shifts on a rotating schedule, effectively creating a 24 hour-a-day, 7 days-a-week production capacity at SCHOTT Solar’s flagship facility.

In order to meet this increased production schedule, SCHOTT Solar has been hiring up to 10 new employees per week since the first of November; the majority of the new positions have been PV production technicians. In addition to more than doubling the ranks of production technicians, new materials handlers and tech services/facilities technicians positions have also been filled. These 60 new employees will bring the PV production lines to full capacity of 160 employees by the end of December.

“Creating jobs in today’s economic environment is a tremendous achievement for any company,” said Dr. Gerald Fine, CEO and president, SCHOTT Solar, Inc. “To be able to almost double our PV workforce in such a short time is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the people who have been with us from the start. They put in the work that allows us to grow.”

SCHOTT Solar continues to build its sales and marketing team in the U.S., recently opening an East Coast sales office in Elmsford, NY, and relocating the West Coast sales office to San Jose, CA. At the same time, Tom Hecht was appointed executive vice president of sales and marketing.