Remarks by Dr. Bevan Zhang, Linuo Solar Group Co. @ Marist College 2011-09-23

Part 2 of 3

Remarks by Dr. Bevan Zhang, Linou Solar Group Co., @ Marist College 2011-09-23

Part 1 of 3

Remarks by various officials, Linuo Solar Group Co., @ Marist College 2011-09-23

Announcement to bring 1000 jobs to Hudson Valley.

Chinese solar tech company announces purchase of IBM West Campus in East Fishkill

In a formal announcement on Friday morning at Marist College, state and local officials welcomed Linuo Solar Group Company to the United States. The hi-tech Chinese manufacturer recently purchased the abandoned IBM West Campus in East Fishkill, and plans to invest $100 million, bringing up to 1,000 new jobs to the Mid Hudson Valley.

Dr. Bevan Zhang, Linuo's international director, thanked state and local leaders for their assistance in bringing his company to New York. Company executives visited California, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Florida and New Jersey, before choosing New York as their American headquarters. "We get all kinds of entertainment, parties," Zhang recalled, "even bring us to NBA game."

He cited the cooperation of Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, Congressman Maurice Hinchey, the Empire State Development Corp., Central Hudson, and The Solar Energy Consortium of Kingston (TSEC), as instrumental in Linuo's decision to base their U.S. operations in Dutchess County. The Mid-Hudson & Dutchess Economic Development Corporations, and Dutchess Regional Chamber of Commerce were also credited.

"That makes New York State so attractive," Zhang remarked.

"I feel I need to make sure our business finds a location where we get strong support," Zhang explained. "You cannot imagine a Chinese company from the outside coming here, and run by themselves, it's just impossible."

Vincent Cozzolino, President of TEAC, agreed. "Bringing any company to NY is always hard, because there is competition all over the country," he said. "This is a re-purposing of an existing asset," Cozzolino said of the old IBM plant -- housing one million square feet of manufacturing space. "There will be lots of local partners that will have to participate with this in the supply chain, and Linuo has a strategy that says they would like to work locally," Cozzolino observed. "This thing about 'a rising tide floats all boats,' really should take us forward."

Linuo was founded in 1994 with $70,000 in startup capital, and less than 50 employees, Zhang said. Today it is a full company with seven subdivisions, $1.3 billion in revenue, and 30,000 employees. "We wanted to create a product that can be a benefit to improve human life," Zhang noted. "We did that in China," with mass production of affordable silicon tubes, providing hot water to poor neighborhoods. Developed countries in Europe also prefer Linuo's technology, Zhang added.

In the United States, Linuo's products are used in the NYC subway system. Kingston manufacturer SolarTech, located at Tech City (another former IBM plant), will be using Linuo's PV cells to make integrated solar panels.


http://www.lohud.com/article/20110923/BUSINESS01/109230366/Solar-company-Linu...

Linuo, Bevan Zhang, Hudson Valley, Marist, New York

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