Energy Storage Company Expands in Florida Creating 1000 Jobs

Expansion Management

Battery Storage Company Expands in Florida Creating 1000 Jobs

Oct. 6, 2015

Moving their headquarters to the Florida location resulted in 1000 new jobs.

A $270 million expansion of Oakridge Global Energy Solutions in Brevard Count, Fla. will give the company space to install additional manufacturing equipment and increase production.

The company is an energy storage solutions company that develops and manufactures batteries and power systems.

Moving their headquarters to the Florida location resulted in 1000 new jobs.

The company is especially proud of the fact that their products are Made in the U.S.

"We’ve called the turning point of the “Made in USA” onshoring movement pretty accurately -- everyone loves that fact that we’re “Made in USA” and bringing jobs back home to America -- and a foreign player, by definition, clearly can’t compete with us on the “Made in USA” deal,” said Steve Barber, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions’ CEO.

The Oakridge Global Energy Solutions expansion was made possible through partnerships between Enterprise Florida, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast and the City of Palm Bay.

“Florida continues to be a manufacturing hub, one of the many reasons businesses like Oakridge Global Energy Solutions choose to remain and expand here in the Sunshine State," said Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio. Florida ranks among the nation’s top 10 states for manufacturing and is home to more than 18,600 manufacturing companies. The state’s 321,000 manufacturing employees produce a wide variety of goods including aerospace products, batteries, food and beverages, communications equipment, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, boats and more.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.