Solar Manufacturing Plant to Create 250 Jobs in Clinton

Confluence Solar Inc. plans to build a $200 million solar manufacturing plant in Clinton, Gov. Phil Bredesen and company officials announced Thursday.

John DeLuca, a co-founder of the Hazelwood, Mo.-based company, said the 200,000-square-foot facility in Clinton is projected to create 250 jobs once it reaches full capacity. Depending on demand, that could be as soon as within 18 months, but the company said as few as 50 and 75 people will be enough to get operations started.

DeLuca, who once worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said the choice of the site off Interstate 75 in Anderson County was strengthened by the proximity to the lab and to the new stimulus-funded Solar Institute at the University of Tennessee.

“For a small startup company like ours, it is hard to overstate the importance of being close to … the people and the analytical resources available there,” he said.

He also cited the polysilicon plants being built in Tennessee by Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. and Wacker Chemie AG. Both plants will produce the material used by Confluence Solar to make premium quality silicon ingots for solar cells.

DeLuca said 17 other Tennessee communities competed for the plant.

The governor noted that the announcement comes on the heels of another Clinton company, SL America Corp., winning a major contract to make automatic shifter assemblies for the new Volkswagen plant being built in Chattanooga.

“No matter what the weather is around the state, I think the sun is shining in Anderson County right now,” he said.

Bredesen said Thursday’s announcement was evidence that Tennessee’s emphasis on green energy investment is paying off.

“I’m becoming convinced that it’s increasingly difficult for companies in the clean energy sector to ignore the momentum that we’re building in Tennessee,” he said.

Bredesen said Thursday’s announcement was distinct from efforts to attract what he has called a “major” commercial investment related to Tennessee’s biofuels program.

Bredesen in November revealed the potential investment when he argued a legislative panel’s concerns about Tennessee’s involvement in the state’s biofuel initiative could scare off the company. The panel later relented and approved funding for a pilot biofuel plant in Vonore, and the governor said he hoped to announce the commercial investment by the end of the year.

“This is not it,” Bredesen told reporters after the Confluence Solar announcement. “It hasn’t gone away, we’re still working on it.”

“We’re appreciative to Confluence Solar for this investment in Anderson County,” said County Mayor Rex Lynch on Thursday. “We’re committed to doing our best to provide this cutting edge company with a world class workforce.”

“Confluence Solar could not have chosen a better community in which to locate,” said Clinton Mayor Scott Burton. “Confluence Solar will make Clinton, Tenn., an important center for new solar technologies and will provide good paying jobs in the process.”

Robin Smith, a Republican seeking election to U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp’s Third District congressional seat, said in a statement Thursday morning that she is pleased with the news.

“This is welcome news for our area,” Smith said. “I am pleased to see the valuable resource Tennessee has in Anderson County paying off for our citizens.

“Confluence Solar will join the other companies and research facilities that have propelled Anderson County to the forefront of transforming the ways we generate energy,” Smith said.

Source: The Oak Ridger Business RSS

Potential DOE, USEC pact could save jobs

A possible new agreement between the federal government and a company with operations in Oak Ridge could save roughly 100 Tennessee jobs, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp announced today.

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to provide $45 million for demonstration and testing activities on USEC Inc.’s American Centrifuge Project, Wamp, a Chattanooga Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge, stated in a news release.

Last summer, DOE initially denied a $2 billion loan guarantee for the project, but then federal officials said they would delay a final decision for six months.

A Maryland-based uranium enrichment company, USEC has applied for the loan guarantee for work on the American Centrifuge Plant, based in Piketon, Ohio. Some work on that project occurs in Oak Ridge — where USEC has taken over the former Boeing building — and also in more than two dozen states.

USEC executives have said they would have to “demobilize” the project and lay off workers if the company fails to get the DOE loan guarantee, and some layoffs have already been announced.

Source: The Oak Ridger Business RSS

Recruiting solar startup required shift in strategy

In announcing Confluence Solar’s choice of Tennessee for construction of a $200 million manufacturing plant, Gov. Phil Bredesen and state officials touted the usual list of jobs created, dollars invested and other benefits of landing a player in a fast-growing industry.

Source: knoxnews.com Stories: Business Journal

Semperian to Close Knoxville Facility

Semperian LLC, which services loans for General Motors Acceptance Corp., will close its Knoxville facility on April 5, a move that will affect some 170 employees.

Mike Dunklee, a spokesman for GMAC, said the move is aimed at aligning the size of the company with the current business environment in the auto industry and GMAC’s existing auto portfolio. Semperian’s call center is located at 2420 Cherahala Blvd.

Dunklee said the employees will be given severance packages and offered outplacement assistance. He said the jobs are being transferred to the company’s other core locations in Lewisville, Tex.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Jacksonville, Fla.

In December, Semperian announced it would lay off 45 employees at the end of 2009, a move that was described as “part of an ongoing effort … to reduce costs and gain efficiencies.” At the time, the company said it would have about 300 employees remaining at its call center in the Pellissippi Corporate Center.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel

How Are You Conducting Your Job Search?

Traditional methods of finding jobs include reading the Situations Vacant columns, registering with job sites and recruitment agencies.

There are better ways.

They are more efficient and they work because 99% of people don’t do this…

Speaking as a professional recruiter, you’d probably expect me to say that registering with a recruitment agency is a great thing to do.

Maybe you’d expect me to suggest that you look at one of my recruitment service web  sites?

Well, I’m not going to suggest that.

Registering with agencies and automated job sites is what the majority of job seekers do.

Effective job hunting involves a little bit of work, which is why most people fail to get the jobs they really want.

The method I am going to suggest is that you look at what you do for a living. Not the actual job title, but the duties that you perform.

When you do this, you’ll free yourself from categorising yourself too narrowly.

Next, consider the company you work for, or, if you’re out of work at present, the work you did in your last position, since that’s what is going to be most relevant to a new employer.

I suggest that you write down a few bullet points of what you’re good at, what you enjoy doing and what motivates you. I’ll explain why in a moment.

Next, consider who are the local or nearest competitors to the company you previously worked for, or at least companies who might be in the same kind of business.

Write a list of these companies and find their telephone numbers.

So far, you have done exactly what a recruitment agency might do – if they are any good that is.

This is the hard part, unless you’re a master telesales canvasser that is!

You need to call these companies and ask who is responsible for hiring people with your skills – you need to get the name of a departmental manager – for example, if you’re looking for a role in IT, you want the IT Manager. If you’re looking for sales admin, you need the office manager.

Don’t ask to be put through to them, just say that you want to write to them.

When you’ve finished, you should have a list of at least 5 companies and the names of the people you wish to contact.

Place these in order of preference, putting your absolute favourite at the bottom of the list and the one you’d least like to work for at the top.

Starting at the top of the list, call the company again and confidently ask to be put through to your contact. When you’re asked what the call is in connection with, say it’s personal. It is, to you!

When you get through, introduce yourself and explain the reason for your call.

If you’re calling competitors of the last business you worked for, say that at the start – for example, “Hello Mr Jones, thanks for taking the call. My name is Joe Bloggs, I’m currently working for the XYZ company as a Production Manager and wondered if you’re currently looking for anybody in this capacity”.

Try to introduce some of your experience into the conversation – you have a list of your main selling points in front of you to remind you!

Obviously you need to tailor that to your circumstances, but I’m sure you get the idea.

From here on in, it should be plain sailing. I’m not saying that you’ll be rewarded with an interview immediately, but at least you have a foot in the door.

Ask questions if you get the chance. For example, “How many people work in your department”? “Do you know of other managers there who might be looking for people”?

Never let your prospect go without asking “who else should I be speaking with”?

The reason you start with your last choice first, is because the first ones are the practice calls.

By the time you’ve made a few calls, you should be able to produce a script that you can use on every call.

Approached this way, you’ll find that even after experiencing a few rejections, you’ll enjoy the process.

Put ticks by the positive calls and crosses by the negatives.

Don’t throw the list away when you’re finished. Just because somebody says that they have no vacancies, doesn’t mean that they won’t have positions available in a month’s time, when you should call back and ask again.

Even if the call doesn’t end particularly positively, ask your prospect if you can email your CV to them for consideration against anything that might come up in the near future.

When you’ve sent it, wait a few days and call back! It’s not cheeky and it’s perfectly reasonable for you to do so.

Ask the prospect what they thought of your profile. Ask if yours is the kind of experience they usually look for, or that could be useful.

The idea is to keep the communication channels open and to make sure that if a vacancy does arise, that your contact will remember you.

I understand some readers will be uncomfortable following this advice, but honestly, it works. Even in a recession.

The best jobs are the unadvertised jobs. Here’s why;

• If you make the approach, there is no recruitment agency fee to pay
• If a vacancy arises, you’ll be the first to know about it
• The employer could save money by not having to advertise
• You will have shown more initiative than any other candidate
• There will be no competition from other people

Try it and see for yourself. You are only doing what recruitment agencies do all day, every day. The reward for them is a fee of several thousand Pounds (or Dollars, Euro, etc).

The reward for you is a nice new job. It really is that simple.

Source: jobhuntingtips.com

Regional economy ends 2009 on positive note

BOONE—Western North Carolina’s economy ended its roller coaster ride in 2009 with three consecutive months of growth.

The region’s economic activity, as measured by the Western North Carolina Economic Index, increased 1.0 percent in December 2009—the third consecutive monthly gain. The index, which tracks the level of economic activity in 25 Western North Carolina counties, increased at an annual rate of 6.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. The national economy grew at a 5.7 percent rate during the same period.

“It appears we are turning a corner,” said Todd Cherry, a co-author of the report and director of the Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis at Appalachian State University. “We haven’t ended a year with three consecutive months of regional growth in about two years. There is a long way to go yet, but the first step is beginning to see consistency in positive news about regional activity.”

The region’s unemployment picture remains troublesome, Cherry said. “It will take some time before we see the gains in economic activity translating to new jobs. The lack of jobs remains a problem, but we are heading in the right direction. However, that is little comfort for many.”

The unemployment remained mixed in the region, with rates higher in about half of the counties. “Interestingly, declines in unemployment were concentrated in the rural areas,” Cherry said.

Seasonally adjusted employment for western North Carolina fell in December, decreasing 0.37 percent. Statewide adjusted employment fell 0.7 percent. The region lost nearly 4,700 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Mapping the growth in employment over the preceding month provides a county-level account of job creation. Seasonally adjusted employment declined in all 25 WNC counties in December. Ashe, Transylvania and Rutherford counties had the largest losses in employment (1.62, 1.03 and 0.97 percent). Buncombe, Henderson and Swain counties had the smallest losses (0.12, 0.14 and 0.14 percent).

Seasonally adjusted WNC unemployment registered 12.2 percent in December—unchanged from the previous month. The state unemployment rate increased 0.5 points to 11.2 percent. The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 10.0 percent.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate within the region’s rural counties registered 12.5 percent in December, down 0.2 points from November. In the region’s metro areas, unemployment increased 0.3 points in Asheville to 9.5 percent and increased 0.3 points in Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir to 15.2 percent.

Movement in the county-level seasonally adjusted unemployment rates was mixed in December. Adjusted unemployment rates increased in 14 of the 25 WNC counties in December. Graham County experienced the largest decline in the unemployment rate (0.88 points) while Caldwell County had the largest increase (1.26 points).

Graham, Caldwell and Rutherford counties had the highest unemployment rates in the region in December (17.27, 17.05 and 16.86 percent). Watauga, Buncombe and Polk counties had the lowest rates for the month (8.14, 9.16 and 9.19 percent).

Nineteen of the 25 counties had unemployment rates above 10 percent and six counties have rates more than 15 percent.

All counties have experienced higher unemployment rates during the past 12 months. Polk and Jackson counties had the smallest increases in unemployment rates (1.83 and 2.13 points) while Graham and Caldwell counties have had the largest increases in rates during the previous 12 months (6.13 and 6.11 points).

Seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance in the region, a leading indicator of unemployment, increased 14.2 percent in December. Initial claims decreased 11.4 percent in Asheville and increased 18.0 percent in Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir.

The WNC Index provides a monthly account of economic conditions for western North Carolina and is typically released the fifth week following each month.  For more information, visit www.cerpa.appstate.edu/wncindex.php.

The WNC Index and Report is a cooperative effort by AdvantageWest-North Carolina and Appalachian’s Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis, and the Walker College of Business.

Source: University News