A German solar distributor is making its U.S. entry with a showroom and office in Richmond.
Abakus Solar USA is planning to open this spring at 1202-1206 N. Boulevard in the space recently occupied by Velocity Motorcycles. The company will distribute solar panels and other components to installers up and down the East Coast.
“I had proposed and pushed for Abakus’s entry into the U.S. market,” said James Huff, CEO of the new operation. “We chose Richmond from a logistical point of view, primarily.”
That is because Richmond is close to the international port in Norfolk and in the middle of the I-95 corridor, he said.
Huff moved here in January and has worked for Abakus in Germany for three years. Huff was born there but grew up in Nashville.
The company, founded in 1995, also has locations in Italy, Greece and Taiwan. The U.S. operation will be distributing panels manufactured by AUO in Taiwan. AUO is a major investor in Abakus, Huff said.
So far Abakus USA has three other employees: two sales directors and an engineer. Huff said they will need to hire a secretary, warehouse staff and an executive assistant soon.
Although the company plans to go after sales up and down the coast, Huff said they would focus on building relationships with local contractors to start.
“We are trying to help support the local market,” Huff said. “I believe we can do that by bringing more people into the fold, training more people how to install, bring down the cost of installation and simplifying the process solar installers have to go through.”
“Looking for material and then they’ve got to wait six weeks to get it – we think that is superfluous,” Huff said.
Instead local contractors will be able to drop by and pick up materials they need to finish a job. Huff said they will not be doing installations themselves but hope to set up a network of installers and pass jobs on to them.
“Solar, in my opinion, is going to be the next job creator. It is going to be a market that helps rescue the economy,” Huff said. “You cannot outsource these jobs. These jobs are here to stay as long as projects continue to go up and as long as there is a demand for energy.”
Charles Bush, owner of the Off Grid Green Living Center in Midlothian, said he is excited about a solar distributor setting up shop in town.
“The fact that they are going to be here and have panels stocked and have mounting systems stocked is going to be a big benefit for all of us,” Bush said.
Bush’s company uses profits from his solar installation business and installer certification classes to support an education center for children. Bush had his first class of installers from across the state receive certification, 17 in total, last month.
“The industry has a lot going on and more interest being shown,” Bush said. “When fuel prices go up, people start thinking about it more.”
A German solar distributor is making its U.S. entry with a showroom and office in Richmond.
Abakus Solar USA is planning to open this spring at 1202-1206 N. Boulevard in the space recently occupied by Velocity Motorcycles. The company will distribute solar panels and other components to installers up and down the East Coast.
“I had proposed and pushed for Abakus’s entry into the U.S. market,” said James Huff, CEO of the new operation. “We chose Richmond from a logistical point of view, primarily.”
That is because Richmond is close to the international port in Norfolk and in the middle of the I-95 corridor, he said.
Huff moved here in January and has worked for Abakus in Germany for three years. Huff was born there but grew up in Nashville.
The company, founded in 1995, also has locations in Italy, Greece and Taiwan. The U.S. operation will be distributing panels manufactured by AUO in Taiwan. AUO is a major investor in Abakus, Huff said.
So far Abakus USA has three other employees: two sales directors and an engineer. Huff said they will need to hire a secretary, warehouse staff and an executive assistant soon.
Although the company plans to go after sales up and down the coast, Huff said they would focus on building relationships with local contractors to start.
“We are trying to help support the local market,” Huff said. “I believe we can do that by bringing more people into the fold, training more people how to install, bring down the cost of installation and simplifying the process solar installers have to go through.”
“Looking for material and then they’ve got to wait six weeks to get it – we think that is superfluous,” Huff said.
Instead local contractors will be able to drop by and pick up materials they need to finish a job. Huff said they will not be doing installations themselves but hope to set up a network of installers and pass jobs on to them.
“Solar, in my opinion, is going to be the next job creator. It is going to be a market that helps rescue the economy,” Huff said. “You cannot outsource these jobs. These jobs are here to stay as long as projects continue to go up and as long as there is a demand for energy.”
Charles Bush, owner of the Off Grid Green Living Center in Midlothian, said he is excited about a solar distributor setting up shop in town.
“The fact that they are going to be here and have panels stocked and have mounting systems stocked is going to be a big benefit for all of us,” Bush said.
Bush’s company uses profits from his solar installation business and installer certification classes to support an education center for children. Bush had his first class of installers from across the state receive certification, 17 in total, last month.
“The industry has a lot going on and more interest being shown,” Bush said. “When fuel prices go up, people start thinking about it more.”
VELOCITY IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS !!
WE ARE MOVING TO THE FORMER SGT. SANTA SITE AT MARSHALL & SUMMIT, that’s two blocks WEST and two blocks SOUTH. Because of your incomplete reporting, people may think that Velocity has folded. I consider that very sloppy & potentially very damaging reporting. What will you do about that, print a tiny footnote?