SunPower Buys SolarWorld, Possibly Saves Hundreds Of Jobs

HILLSBORO, OR — While it may be too late for the 300-plus SolarWorld employees who were laid off last summer, the news SolarWorld was bought by California-based solar panel manufacturer SunPower means the remaining employees may keep their jobs.

Sources did not disclose details of the sale, such as the negotiated price, but did include in the Wednesday announcement a statement acknowledging SunPower would transition some of its solar panel production in Southern California to the Hillsboro facility.

Previously, SunPower manufactured much of its product in Malaysia and the Philippines.

In an interview the Oregonian/OregonLive, SunPower Chief Executive Tom Werner said the sale was spurred on by tariffs imposed on imported solar panels by the Trump administration.

SolarWorld was previously on the brink of complete dissolution following an announcement last year from its Germany-based headquarters that the company was unable to pay its debts. Last summer, SolarWorld laid off roughly 360 Hillsboro employees.

What the sale to SunPower will mean for the remaining employees and future of the Hillsboro facility only "time will tell," Werner told OregonLive reporters.

Click here for the full Oregonian/OregonLive report.

Top image via Shutterstock / pan demin