Jobs were the main concern

Written by Dale Neal

Jobs and how to make more of them was the single most important issue in 2011 as the Asheville area and the nation plodded slowly out of the wreckage of the Great Recession.

But even in hard times, a growing number of entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina launched new ventures and started creating paychecks.

Here are the top business stories from the past year:

UNEMPLOYMENT: The jobless rate in the metropolitan area dropped to 7.7 percent in October, down from 8.1 percent in September. But the creation of new jobs continued at an agonizingly slow pace for the year, with the four counties of the metro region — Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties — still down 200 jobs from a year ago.

Overall, the metro area had lost 10,000 jobs since the Great Recession began in 2008. Given Asheville’s average annual rate of growth, it could take five years to recoup those lost jobs.

EXPANSIONS: Fortunately, job growth should pick up in 2012 with the announcements of plant relocations and expansions. Buncombe County recruiters coaxed Linamar, a Canadian machining company, to invest $125 million and bring 400 jobs in the old Volvo Construction plant in South Asheville. Buncombe County commissioners agreed to $6.8 million in initiatives to lure Linamar to the region, which they say would be more than offset by future tax revenues.

JOBS INITIATIVE: The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce launched Asheville 5X5, a new initiative to create 5,000 new jobs over the next five years in five sectors: advanced manufacturing, health care, science and technology, knowledge-based entrepreneurs, and arts and culture. The Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition hired Pam Lewis from AdvantageWest to head local support of entrepreneurs.

GREEN SECTOR: Asheville honed its reputation as a hotbed for green and clean energy.  FLS Energy, a homegrown solar power company, was ranked 46th top-growing company in the nation with revenues exploding by 4,300 percent in the past three years. Western North Carolina has the highest number of green companies per capita in the state. AdvantageWest and the Land of Sky Regional Council formed the EvolveEnergy partnership to capitalize on that synergy.

HEALTH CARE: Mission Hospital, the region’s largest employer, opened its $59 million SECU Cancer Center in November, a substantial expansion to the medical campus sprawling along Biltmore Avenue to Victoria Road. As the region’s largest employer, Mission came under fire from some critics as a monopoly. Park Ridge Health balked at Mission’s plans with Hendersonville’s Pardee Hospital to open a $45 million outpatient center in Fletcher. Mission chafed under the state-monitored Certificate of Public Advantage and asked for reforms to help it better compete with larger health corporations

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Solar shines at Prestage Foods turkey processing this Thanksgiving season

November 16, 2011 – St. Pauls, NC – FLS Energy has started construction on a solar thermal farm for Prestage Foods, a 260,000 square foot turkey processing plant based in St. Pauls, NC. The system will provide the poultry processor an estimated 100,000 gallons of hot water per day for use in operations. The Prestage Foods solar thermal farm will be one of the most significant solar projects developed in the nation for use of on-site solar thermal energy.

The solar farm will be constructed in three phases. Each phase will include 700 ground-mounted flat plate solar panels. Phases one and two will be completed this year and the third phase is estimated to be complete in March 2012.  The solar thermal system will also include a custom designed pump-house and solar storage system. FLS Energy developed the technology specifically for this project in order to provide hot water to the facility 24 hours a day.

Prestage Foods has made no capital investment in the development of the solar thermal farm. FLS Energy will own the system and sell Prestage the energy it needs to heat water at a lower rate than propane, the company’s current energy source for heating water.

“We are pleased to partner with Prestage Foods as they reduce their dependence on propane and reap the rewards of lower energy costs,” said Brownie Newman, Vice President and Director of Project Finance at FLS Energy. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

ABOUT FLS ENERGY: FLS Energy is one of the nation’s leading solar thermal developers. Projects range from some of the largest solar hot water systems in the country to solar photovoltaic farms for generating electricity. In 2011, the company was ranked the 46th fastest growing company in the nation by Inc. Magazine, and was named a top 25 “Companies to Watch” in North Carolina by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.  Visit flsenergy.com.

September 29, 2011 – Hanover, NH – The New Energy Capital Cleantech Infrastructure Fund today announced an investment of $12.0 million in FLS Energy, Inc., the nation’s largest installer of commercial solar hot water systems and one of the largest integrators of photovoltaic solar systems in the southeast.

FLS Energy, Inc. is an Asheville, NC-based designer, installer, and owner of commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water (SHW) systems in the southeastern United States.  FLS Energy supplies turn-key solutions to clients, offering direct sales of solar systems or the opportunity to purchase solar energy through a long-term contract at competitive energy rates.  “The FLS Energy management team has developed a unique set of skills and relationships that allow them build, own, and maintain solar systems that offer their customers competitive clean energy with no up-front cost.  We are looking forward to helping them maintain their rapid growth,” said Scott Brown, CEO of New Energy Capital.  FLS Energy was named by Inc. Magazine as the 46th fastest growing company in the U.S. in 2010.  The investment will create approximately 30 new jobs related to the manufacture and installation of SHW and PV equipment.

“We have been looking for an investor who really understands the clean energy markets, not just solar electric but also solar hot water.  New Energy Capital was the only investor we talked to that really understood our business,” said Michael Shore, C.E.O. of FLS Energy, Inc.  FLS Energy has developed solar energy systems for leading industrial and technology companies such as SAS Institute, Prestage Foods, and Kimberly Clark; universities and colleges such as Wake Forest University, Guilford College, and Appalachian State University; and a number of governmental institutions, hotels, and other commercial enterprises throughout the southeast.  FLS Energy is currently installing solar systems on more than 2000 homes for the U.S. Marines.

New Energy Capital partnered on the investment with the CleanTech Alliance Fund, managed by North Sky Capital, of Minneapolis, MN.  New Energy Capital was represented by Rath, Young & Pignatelli of Concord, NH.

About New Energy Capital
New Energy Capital Cleantech Infrastructure Fund (www.newenergycapital.com) invests in, owns and operates renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste recycling, and distributed generation projects. The Fund is managed by New Energy Capital Partners, Hanover, NH and partners with the CleanTech Alliance Fund, which is managed by North Sky Capital in Minneapolis, MN.

Contact:

New Energy Capital Partners, LLC

Tel: 603-643-8885

Email: info@newenergycapital.com

Firm’s innovative business model led to tremendous growth

ASHEVILLE, NC, August 23, 2011 — FLS Energy of Asheville, NC is pleased to announce it has been ranked No. 46 in Inc. magazine’s 2011 Inc. 500, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s top 500 fastest-growing private companies. FLS Energy is the highest ranking company in the state of North Carolina, and the fifth of 15 energy companies included in this year’s list.

FLS Energy was ranked in the top 50 in the nation because of their tremendous three year revenue growth of over 4,300%. Founded in 2006 by three entrepreneurial environmentalists, the company has grown to over 80 employees across the Southeast. Annual revenue for 2011 is projected to be $36 million – double last year’s revenue of $18 million.

“We founded FLS Energy with a commitment to making solar energy mainstream,” said FLS Energy CEO and co-founder, Michael Shore. “We believe that the solar age has dawned, enabling our company to create jobs, reduce global warming pollution, and contribute to our economy.”

One reason for the swift growth of FLS Energy is the innovative business model that makes solar energy more affordable and requires little or no up-front costs for the client. FLS Energy owns the solar hot water system and sells the client the energy needed to heat their water at rates comparable and often lower than fossil fuels.

Essentially, FLS Energy operates like a small utility company serving clients from their own rooftops. FLS Energy’s innovative business model paved the way for the company’s growth and continues to differentiate FLS Energy from other solar energy companies.  FLS Energy has developed dozens and dozens of projects for companies within the hospitality, agriculture, non-profit and government sectors using their business model.

This fast growing company is on a trajectory for more growth. FLS Energy is currently hiring six more team members and projects to hire another 20 by the end of the year. FLS Energy is a leading NC company for job creation within the clean energy sector.

“FLS Energy is an example of the type of growth we see in Asheville and Buncombe County:  a combination of a strong entrepreneurial streak, ingenuity and sustainability” said Kit Cramer, president of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.  “We want more companies like them.”

FLS Energy was the only southeastern solar energy company to make the Inc. 500 list. North Carolina was home to approximately 12,500 full-time equivalent renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs, according to a report released by the NC Sustainable Energy Association last fall.  This represented a 22% job growth in North Carolina from the previous year, which is tremendous given the state’s continued high unemployment rate and weak economy.

“Despite our state’s record-breaking unemployment rate and on-going troubled economy, North Carolina’s clean energy industries continue to grow and add new jobs and economic opportunities,” said Ivan Urlaub, NCSEA’s Executive Director. “North Carolina is distinctly positioned as a renewable energy and energy efficiency leader in the Southeast due to the great success and innovations of companies like FLS Energy and others.”

Earlier this month, FLS Energy was names to CED’s “Top 25 NC Companies to Watch,” and was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s 2011 “Entrepreneur of the Year”; a 2010 Winner of the SJF Ventures & GreenForAll National Green Jobs Award; the 2010 Asheville Chamber of Commerce Small Business Leader of the Year; and the 2010 NC Sustainable Energy Association Individual Leadership Award.

About FLS Energy: FLS Energy is an industry-leading, national solar energy generation company that designs, develops, and finances commercial, industrial, and utility-scale solar thermal and solar electric energy systems.  FLS Energy projects include a 2200 home solar hot water project at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC; four photovoltaic projects at SAS Institute in Cary, NC that total 2.6 MW; the 550 kW Evergreen Solar Farm, in Canton NC, one of the nation’s first PV farms to be built on a landfill; and a 4800 gallon solar thermal system at The Proximity, the world’s first LEED Platinum hotel, in Greensboro, NC. Visit flsenergy.com to learn more.

About the Inc. 500 list: The Inc. 500 list spotlights the risk takers whose innovative business models and formidable execution have taken their companies to the top of the heap in terms of percentage revenue growth over the past three years. Companies such as Microsoft, Zappos, Intuit, GoDaddy, Zipcar, Clif Bar, American Apparel, Oracle, and many other well-known names gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500.

The companies of the Inc. 500 represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000. Complete results of the Inc. 500, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/500.

Winning second-stage companies represent $172 million in combined annual revenue in 2010;

More than 250 projected new jobs in 2011

August 8, 2011 – Research Triangle Park, NC – CED, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes entrepreneurial efforts in North Carolina, has named 25 winners for the second annual North Carolina Companies To Watch awards, honoring growth-stage entrepreneurial companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace, exhibit innovative products or display other unique qualities that make them “worth watching.”

North Carolina Companies To Watch is presented in partnership with the Edward Lowe Foundation and is made possible through the support of title sponsors Cherry Bekaert & Holland and Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton. This program recognizes the impact that second-stage, entrepreneurial companies make on the marketplace and on the economy.  This year’s 25 winners will be honored at an awards ceremony September 21^st in Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.  Gerald Owens, anchor/reporter for WRAL-TV, will emcee the event.

The 2011 “North Carolina Companies to Watch” are:

Bennett Aerospace, Inc.

BioAgilytix Labs

BioResource International. Inc.

Chimerix, Inc.

Dorsett Technologies, Inc.

Dry Corp, LLC

Emergency Technologies, Inc.

Expression Analysis

Figure Eight Technologies

FLS Energy

Geomagic

Hickory Nut Gap Farm

Ignite Social Media

Jackrabbit Technologies

K3 Enterprises, Inc.

LoneRider Brewing Company

MercuryGate International

Moog Music, Inc.

Replay Photos, LLC

Riley Life Logistics

Skookum Digital Works

Southern Energy Management

Spoonflower

TransLoc, Inc.

Varrow, Inc.

“These companies exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that leads to success in the marketplace even during challenging economic times,” said CED President Joan Siefert Rose. She noted that these companies collectively grew revenue by an annual rate of 32 percent between 2007-2010, and added jobs at an annual rate of 36 per cent during the same period.  “CED is proud to recognize the accomplishments of all our 25 winners and their significant contributions to our state’s economy,” Rose said.

“Our research confirms that second-stage companies are the champions of sustainable job creation,” says Penny Lewandowski, director of entrepreneur development at the Edward Lowe Foundation. “They are continuously adding employees, creating five, 10 or 15 jobs each year. When you look at the cumulative effect of this type of job creation, it is significant, making these companies powerhouses when it comes to economic growth. And, in addition to keeping people employed, second-stagers are setting trends in innovation and discovery. Recognizing and serving them is a key economic development strategy,” Lewandowski said.

The North Carolina Companies to Watch were selected from an initial pool of more than 200 nominees from across North Carolina.  They are privately held companies of between 6-99 employees and $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue or funds raised from grants, investors or partnerships. The winners represent the geographic regions of the state as well as different sectors of the economy.

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Contact Joan Siefert Rose, president, CED – jsrose@cednc.org or 919.633.7052

More on North Carolina Companies to Watch

The council may consider the plan at its meeting today.

During the plan’s first phase, Cary staff recommended that the town allow Asheville-based FLS Energy to install and maintain two solar arrays covering several acres. The project would have a total capacity of 2.3 megawatts of power and produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 217 homes, according to the town.

If the first part of the plan is successful, town staff will recommend that Cary consider allowing solar array installations at an operations center on James Jackson Avenue and at two water reclamation facilities.

The town says the project would pose no financial risk to Cary. FLS Energy would be solely responsible for the panels, and the company would pay Cary about $45,000 per year for use of the land.

The company would sell power from the panels to Progress Energy, which is paying subsidized rates for solar and wind power as it tries to reach a state requirement that investor-owned power companies draw 12.5 percent of their electricity from renewable resources and energy efficiency programs by 2021.

FLS declined to disclose how much annual revenue the panels would produce. Two out-of-state companies bid for the project, offering similar rent rates to the town, but town staff favored FLS because of its experience with similar projects, including a parking deck solar array in Raleigh.

Because of the renewable energy law, passed in 2007, “We have a seen a huge increase in the number of renewable energy projects on the ground,” said Diane Cherry, manager of policy initiatives for the Institute for Emerging Issues at N.C. State University. “It’s like a market driver.”

Private companies already have installed several solar power projects in western Wake County, including arrays totaling 2.4 megawatts on the SAS campus, a 250-kilowatt setup atop a Cary Food Lion and a 250-kilowatt rooftop installation at the OFM furniture company in Holly Springs.

The state and federal governments offer tax subsidies that offset the cost of installing solar panels by more than half. But Cary can’t collect those benefits and for that reason has sought a private partner to install the electricity production system.

In total, North Carolina’s solar facilities put out a maximum of about 60 megawatts – a minuscule figure next to the state’s total electricity production capacity of almost 28,000 megawatts.

The proposed Cary solar arrays would increase Progress’s statewide solar portfolio by about 25 percent and the state’s total solar capacity by almost 4 percent compared to today.

“Two megawatts, in terms of solar arrays, is a very big project,” said Scott Sutton, a Progress Energy spokesman.

The state’s biggest solar farm is 15.5 megawatts in Davidson County. A Florida developer is considering North Carolina and several states for construction of a 400-megawatt solar farm, which would be the world’s biggest.

The proposed Cary arrays eventually could become town property. Cary’s contract with FLS would allow the town to buy the solar equipment at a reduced cost after 20 years.

Solar Hot Water from FLS Energy Seals the Green Deal

August 5, Montreat, N.C. – Montreat Conference Center is proud to announce it has received the 2011 Green Leaf Seal from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Environmental Ministries and the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association.  This honor comes weeks after completion of an innovative solar hot water system by FLS Energy at Montreat Conference Center’s Assembly Inn.

Officials from Montreat Conference Center, FLS Energy, and other honored guests, including Letta Jean Taylor, Mayor from the Town of Montreat, and Bobbi White, General Presbyter from the WNC Presbytery, were present during today’s 2 PM announcement to celebrate Montreat’s Green Leaf Seal award and the new solar hot water system at Assembly Inn.

“Montreat Conference Center is deeply committed to the responsible care and preservation of this mountain cove,” said conference center president Pete Peery.  “We have an on-going program of environmental stewardship that includes a 2,500 acre conservation easement, environmental programming, a recycling plan, an electric vehicle for on-site transportation of guests, and more.”

“This new solar water heating project is, for us, another very exciting step forward,” Peery added.  “Our collaboration with FLS Energy has given us an opportunity to advance a technology that will, hopefully, be employed by other institutions in the area.”

Montreat Conference Center incorporated a 1500 gallon solar thermal system into their energy portfolio at the Assembly Inn using FLS Energy’s Solar Energy Purchase Agreement (SEPA).  No capital was required of Montreat. FLS Energy owns the solar hot water system and will sell Montreat the energy needed to heat the water for the next 10 years, at rates  lower than  fossil fuels..

“FLS Energy’s hot water system will save Montreat Conference Center about $3000 a year,” says FLS Energy Vice President of Finance Brownie Newman.  “Through our SEPA financing program, we can offer energy needed to heat water at the Assembly Inn at a rate 40% less than what they’re currently paying for expensive heating oil.”

The innovative solar hot water system at Montreat Conference Center’s Assembly Inn was designed for the seasonality of their operations.  Unglazed collectors will produce approximately 1,000,000 BTUs a day during spring, summer and fall.  FLS Energy is currently monitoring the system using its new SunRex remote thermal monitoring system.  The data gathered will provide vital information that can be applied to future designs for other seasonal institutions.

“By using FLS Energy’s innovative technology application,” states Newman, “the unglazed collector may be the next phase of affordable solar solutions for seasonal applications.”

The Green Leaf Seal is designed to recognize camp and conference centers that care for God’s earth by practicing sustainability and educating guests about environmental stewardship.

To receive the 2011 Green Leaf Seal, camps and conference centers must have completed a total of five projects or activities related to environmental stewardship in the areas of facilities, education/program, operations, and outreach.  Montreat Conference Center joins eighteen other recipients from the 158 members of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Center Association.

For more information on the Green Leaf Seal go to www.pcusa.org/greenleaf.

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About Montreat Conference Center – A center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and all God’s people, Montreat annually welcomes over 35,000 visitors. Montreat Conference Center has been “a place set apart” for spiritual rest, renewal, and recreation for over 100 years. Located at the heart of Montreat Conference Center, overlooking Lake Susan, the historic – now solar equipped – Assembly Inn has 100 guest rooms and accommodates up to 200 guests.

Media Contact:

Kim Hayes, VP for Marketing and Communication
Montreat Conference Center
401 Assembly Drive, P.O. Box 969
Montreat, NC 28757

(800) 572-2257
(828) 669-2911 ext. 305

kimh@montreat.org

About FLS Energy – FLS Energy is a national solar energy generation company. We design, build, and finance commercial, industrial, and utility scale solar energy systems.  FLS Energy’s mission is to make solar mainstream.  We offer our client’s a renewable source of energy and provide a hedge against rising energy costs.  Other WNC solar hot water clients include Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, Asheville YWCA , Mars Hill College, Asheville Hilton, Kanuga Conference Center, Mountain Housing Opportunities’ Glen Rock Depot, and the new Westmore Apartments.

Media Contact:

Joanna Baker, Marketing Manager

FLS Energy
239 Amboy Road, Asheville, NC 28806

(877) 862-5050

(828) 350-3993

joanna@flsenergy.com

Join the NC Sustainable Energy Association at Highland Brewing Company Thursday September 8 to celebrate the innovation and entrepreneurship that is driving current successes and future opportunities for clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency in Western North Carolina.  Learn how Western North Carolina has become a leader in the state for renewable energy capacity, clean energy jobs and business opportunities – and is growing every day!  We will have food and live music, along with a cash bar, so come enjoy the evening and network with your peers, partners, local officials, and others as we work together to strengthen the clean energy economy!  Look for more details soon at www.energync.org.

This event is generously co-hosted by FLS Energy, the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council, and Highland Brewing Company.

Save the Date:  Thursday, September 8, 2011

Time:  5:00pm-7:30pm

Location:  Highland Brewing Company, Asheville, NC

From Renewable Energy World.

Another Way to Skin the Solar Cat

With Republicans on the march against solar power in Maine, Arizona and on Wall Street it would be easy to get depressed.

But it would be better to get creative.

FLS Energy of Asheville, North Carolina is creative. They’re an installer of solar systems, and while they do some work on solar photovoltaic (PV) they may be better known for their solar hot water systems.

FLS is gaining market traction with its solar hot water lease. Solar leasing isn’t new, and solar hot water isn’t new. Commercial solar contracts aren’t new either. FLS just combines them all.

The problem is that commercial solar water systems can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $10 million. Even if they produce a lot of water, that’s a big chunk of change. So FLS does just what residential PV outfits like SunRun do. They write a lease for the water.

FLS signs 10 year contracts for the water, with customers like Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, which it can heat for less than an electric utility could. (To the left is the college’s installation on a dorm, from the Guilford College website.)

Then FLS gets subsidies from those local utilities, who use FLS to meet their own green power commitments to state government. The only state commitment required is that the local utilities get a certain percentage of their load from renewable sources.

In the case of North Carolina, where FLS is based, this is done in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates.

Getting deals done, and getting systems installed, is the name of the game. The big innovations of 2011 are not all technical. Many are financial.