ATS Photowatt Ontario plant officially opens with Ontario's Minister of Energy and Minister of Training, Colleges and Universiti
November 25 2010 - 3:06PM
PR Newswire (Canada)
CAMBRIDGE, ON, Nov. 25 /CNW/ -- TSX: ATA Leading global automation
company sees opportunity in government policy to bring solar
manufacturing and green jobs to Ontario CAMBRIDGE, ON, Nov. 25
/CNW/ - ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. ("ATS") today
officially opened its Photowatt Ontario Green Wing production
facility. The Hon. Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Hon.
John Milloy, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener Centre
and Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, were on-hand
to help mark the major milestone for solar manufacturing in
Ontario. Photowatt Ontario offers turnkey solar project
development, installation and solar products. Photowatt Ontario has
begun production of Photovoltaic (PV) modules on a new 100MW line
at the ATS campus in Cambridge Ontario. The "Made in Ontario"
production will meet rapidly growing Ontario demand from
residential, commercial and industrial markets as well as
large-scale solar fields. The world-class line was designed and
built by the ATS Cambridge Automation division. ATS has made
a significant investment to serve the Ontario solar market with
module manufacturing and turnkey solar installations and has
initially created 150 jobs at ATS. ATS expects to hire more
as demand grows. ATS believes that overall job creation
related to solar in the province will be similar to Europe, where
solar industry experience and International Energy Agency analysis
estimate approximately 40 jobs have been created for every megawatt
of solar installed. ATS has the manufacturing automation knowhow,
facilities and resources to rapidly expand beyond the initial 100MW
capacity as demand from the Ontario marketplace and beyond grows.
"I'm extremely pleased to welcome the ATS Green Wing production
facility to Ontario's growing clean energy economy," said Brad
Duguid, provincial Energy Minister. "Photowatt Ontario is a great
example of how the McGuinty government's vision for a vibrant
renewable energy sector is coming to life. Our new Long-Term Energy
Plan will ensure we continue on this path, and that companies like
ATS remain an important part of our plan to clean up our air and
create thousands of clean energy jobs for Ontarians." "This is an
important new facility for Ontario and Waterloo Region," said John
Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre and Minister of Training, Colleges
and Universities. "This investment by ATS in clean energy is
helping to bring the kind of highly-skilled jobs to our province
that will help fuel the knowledge economy of the future. It will
contribute to a strong and competitive Ontario, and will help keep
our environment clean for future generations." "We commend Ontario
for taking meaningful steps in addressing our aging electrical
transmission system, green house gas emissions, outdated power
generation and manufacturing jobs lost in the economic downturn of
2008," said Anthony Caputo, president and CEO, ATS Automation. "The
Green Energy Act is very progressive and the feed-in tariff program
accomplishes many of these multifaceted objectives." Government
support through its Green Energy Act is credited with advancing the
acceptance of solar power at a crucial point in its
evolution. "The module line is one important element of ATS'
Green Wing. We have started with panel manufacturing but are in
numerous discussions with potential partners in many facets of the
green energy industry. Industry seeks stability, predictability and
steadfast application of rules and regulations. This type of
environment will continue to attract investment, respect the
competitive process, foster innovation and create new jobs," Caputo
concluded. About Photowatt Photowatt is a turnkey solar project
developer and integrated manufacturer. Photowatt designs,
manufactures and sells solar modules, and installation kits, and
provides solar power systems design and other value-added services,
principally in Western Europe and Ontario. Photowatt has a
well-established and ongoing research and development program,
alliances with energy industry leaders through the PV Alliance
joint venture and 30 years of experience in processing silicon and
making ingots, wafers, cells and modules. Photowatt Ontario has
been established as part of the Photowatt group to serve the
Ontario solar market. Combined with ATS, it is uniquely positioned,
with over one million square feet of Ontario-based manufacturing,
more than 900 local employees, substantial automation and project
expertise and extensive global solar capabilities and experience to
be a natural domestic solar market leader. Visit the Photowatt
website at www.photowatt.com and the Photowatt Ontario website at
www.photowattontario.com About ATS ATS Automation provides
innovative, custom designed, built and installed manufacturing
solutions to many of the world's most successful companies. Founded
in 1978, ATS uses its industry-leading knowledge and global
capabilities to serve the sophisticated automation systems' needs
of multinational customers in industries such as life sciences,
computer/electronics, energy, automotive and consumer products. It
also leverages its many years of experience and skills to fulfill
the specialized automation product manufacturing requirements of
customers. Through Photowatt, ATS participates in the growing solar
energy industry. ATS employs approximately 2,700 people at 17
manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Europe,
Southeast Asia and China. The Company's shares are traded on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ATA. Visit the Company's
website at www.atsautomation.com. Note to Readers: Forward-Looking
Statements This news release contains certain statements that
constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of
applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of ATS, or developments in ATS's
business or in its industry, to differ materially from the
anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding
possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based
on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of
action. Forward-looking statements may also include, without
limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or
circumstances. ATS cautions you not to place undue reliance upon
any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date they are made. Forward-looking statements relate to, among
other things: meeting market demand; hiring and overall job
creation expectations; expansion capabilities; discussions with
potential partners; and potential impact of regulatory environment.
The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking
statements include, among others: general market performance
including capital market conditions and availability and cost of
credit; economic market conditions; ability of ATS to acquire the
needed expertise, financial partners, and to conclude the
relationships necessary to effectively execute on its Ontario solar
strategy; the financial attractiveness of, and demand for, solar
projects and solar products; the availability and possible
reduction, modification, or elimination of government subsidies;
ability to obtain necessary government certifications and approvals
for solar projects in a timely fashion; political, labour or
supplier disruptions; the development of superior or alternative
technologies to those developed by ATS; the success of competitors
with greater capital and resources in exploiting their technology;
market risk for developing technologies; and other risks detailed
from time to time in ATS's filings with Canadian provincial
securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are based on
management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and
opinions, and ATS does not undertake any obligation to update
forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these
plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. /NOTE
TO PHOTO EDITORS: Photos accompanying this release will be
available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to
accredited members of the media/ pCarl Gallowaybr/ Vice President,
Treasurerbr/ ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc.br/ a
href="mailto:cgalloway@atsautomation.com"cgalloway@atsautomation.com/a
/ (519) 653-6500 x 5302/p
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