Toledo Solar will shut completely in August, however its interim president says the corporate by no means obtained off the bottom after a lawsuit and different causes.
PERRYSBURG, Ohio —
Toledo Solar, Inc., is closing its doorways for good. The Perrysburg-based photo voltaic vitality firm is an offshoot of the Willard and Kelsey Solar Group.
The photo voltaic panel firm desires to make a sure sort of photo voltaic panel.
“They’re attempting to crack the code,” mentioned Toledo Solar’s interim president Tom Pratt. “Developing the key sauce to make a cadmium telluride panel, which isn’t simple due to the know-how they’re utilizing.”
The firm works with tools that’s greater than 20 years outdated, in keeping with Pratt. In the years that the corporate has been working, it has not been ready to take action.
“They’ve by no means constructed a photo voltaic panel since it has been round,” Pratt mentioned.
Pratt was delivered to the board of administrators of Toledo Solar in July of 2023 and was appointed interim president, treasurer and secretary after a management overhaul. First Solar filed a lawsuit towards Toledo Solar, claiming the corporate bought First Solar panels and misrepresented them as Toledo Solar panels.
The phrases of the settlement require Toledo Solar to evaluation the manufacturing processes it makes use of.
“When we realized that we have been stepping on six or seven of their patents, we tried to barter one thing with them however sadly we could not to do it,” Pratt mentioned.
Pratt mentioned there was an try to make use of the photo voltaic panels in one other capability and use one other marketing strategy, however they didn’t get the know-how.
“Ultimately the board of administrators determined it wasn’t well worth the effort, so the choice was made to shut Toledo Solar, Pratt mentioned.
He mentioned that at the moment the plant has been decommissioned.
“It means all of the tools is eliminated, the ground is swept and the keys are handed over to the owner who owns the constructing,” Pratt mentioned.
The enterprise will shut on the finish of August, in keeping with Pratt.
He mentioned when he began there have been about 35 staff, and now there’s a “skeleton crew” of 5 working.
“They’re all taking a look at different choices in entrance of them, and I’m positive they’re going to be high quality,” Pratt mentioned.
