SINGAPORE, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MAXN) (“Maxeon” or “the Company”), a global leader in solar innovation and channels, today announced it has brought on board Donald J. Foldenauer as General Manager of its new Mesa Del Sol solar cell and module factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Donald J. Foldenauer, Maxeon’s new General Manager of Mesa Del Sol solar cell and module factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The facility is expected to be the first large-scale PV cell and panel manufacturing in New Mexico, and its planned capacity is approximately double the size of the largest silicon solar manufacturing facility currently operating in the U.S.
In this newly created role, Foldenauer will lead the re-shoring and scaling up of Maxeon’s U.S. domestic supply chain, a market poised for growth in both the utility-scale and residential solar power sectors. Maxeon announced in August its plans for the Mesa Del Sol facility, which is expected to create up to 1,500 highly skilled manufacturing jobs.
“We’re excited to have Don take the helm of this critical expansion of our U.S. business as Maxeon seeks to play a pivotal role in developing a self-sufficient domestic solar supply chain. His experience in scaling manufacturing operations of advanced engineered products, creating new production lines, and building exceptional teams all make him a great fit with our ambitious growth plans,” said Bill Mulligan, Maxeon CEO.
Foldenauer is an accomplished leader with over 35 years of experience managing diverse teams and driving operations in the U.S. semiconductor, advanced materials, and solar manufacturing sectors. Before joining Maxeon, he served in the role of vice president of operations at Yield Engineering Systems as well as Jabil and Celestica.
Maxeon expects to begin construction of the Mesa Del Sol facility in the first quarter of 2024, with factory ramp-up to commence in 2025. The facility will produce Maxeon’s latest-generation TOPCon PV-silicon cell technology and the Company’s proprietary shingled-cell Performance Line solar modules to meet rapidly growing demand for domestically produced solar panels.