Polk County got a treat for Halloween in business news this morning.

SOLARCYCLE announced earlier this year their plans to build a new facility on the York property that will bring in more than 600 jobs and provide solar panel recycling and glass making for its expanding corporate footprint.

Now they are doing more than they anticipated.

After Gildan closed their facility last year, the several hundred thousand square feet of manufacturing space has been sitting idle and available for the right company to take it over and make it productive again. That company seems to be SOLARCYCLE after they announced a $62 million capital investment with the purchase of the old Gildan facility.

The move into the plant with equipment to recycle solar panels to the Northside Industrial Park in Cedartown means that they’ll also be hiring 640 new employees in the coming months.

SOLARCYCLE is set to take over and begin operations sometime in the first quarter of 2025, per local officials. The deal to purchase the former plant was made official today.

“As Georgia continues to lead the nation in attracting jobs from emerging industries, we’re thankful SOLARCYCLE is moving up creation of these opportunities in northwest Georgia, benefitting that entire region’s economy,” said Governor Brian Kemp in a press release this morning. “I want to thank our local and state partners who made this accelerated growth in Polk County possible, and I look forward to its impact in the years to come.”

Commission Chair Jessica Payton added that “The City of Cedartown is excited for this additional investment and opportunity in our community. SOLARCYCLE answers a need for the rapidly growing solar industry, reduces waste, and keeps jobs and materials in America.”

SOLARCYCLE is still moving forward with plans for building the glass manufacturing facility on the York property across the road. The company uses a patented process for delaminating old solar panels and recycles materials from those used panels to make new ones. The specialized glass needed to make new solar panels will be just an hour away from a manufacturing facility in Dalton.

The company’s rapid expansion from their original home in Odessa, Texas includes headquarters opened earlier this year in Mesa, Arizona.

Polk County will ultimately see more than 1,200 employees hired by SOLARCYCLE to run the recycling and glass manufacturing plants, and make a more than $400 million investment into the area.

Here’s the full press release from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office release this morning about the deal:

Gov. Kemp: SOLARCYCLE Accelerates Plans for Polk County Operation

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that SOLARCYCLE, an advanced technology-based solar recycling company, will accelerate its expansion into Polk County to meet increasing demand for solar panel recycling services. The company is investing an additional $62 million to increase its panel recycling capacity to 10 million solar panels per year and create 640 new full-time jobs.

“As Georgia continues to lead the nation in attracting jobs from emerging industries, we’re thankful SOLARCYCLE is moving up creation of these opportunities in northwest Georgia, benefitting that entire region’s economy,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “I want to thank our local and state partners who made this accelerated growth in Polk County possible, and I look forward to its impact in the years to come.”

The facility is located directly across the street from the company’s previously announced 1.1-million-square-foot solar glass factory that will employ an additional 617 people. The factory will use recycled materials from retired solar panels from the recycling facility to make five to six gigawatts worth of solar glass every year. The factory positions the company as one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon (c-Si) photovoltaics in the U.S.

“We are pleased to accelerate our work in Cedartown in partnership with Governor Kemp and Polk County. In response to continued demand for solar recycling and domestic manufacturing, we will be able to scale operations and begin hiring sooner than originally planned,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder at SOLARCYCLE. “We applaud Governor Kemp for his leadership supporting clean energy policy that has made it possible to scale solar manufacturing in the state, and bring good jobs and meaningful investment to local communities as a result. This is exactly what the future of American manufacturing looks like and SOLARCYCLE is proud to be at the helm.”

SOLARCYCLE has acquired an existing building at 270 North Park Boulevard in Cedartown, adjacent to the new facility under construction at Cedartown North Business Park, a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certified site. The existing 255,000-square-foot building will be renovated to house the company’s solar panel recycling operations.

The facility is move-in-ready and will be operational in the second half of 2025. SOLARCYCLE is hiring full-time jobs in manufacturing, engineering, management, research and design, and support staff. Open roles are available at //www.solarcycle.us/careers.

“The decision by SOLARCYCLE to expedite their manufacturing process by refurbishing a currently vacant facility and creating additional employment opportunities is a true testament to their commitment as a long-term corporate sponsor in Cedartown-Polk County,” said Chris Thomas, President and CEO of Development Authority of Polk County. “This expansion not only underscores the confidence that businesses have in our community as a place to invest but also promises significant economic benefits.  We are excited about the opportunities this expansion brings and remain dedicated to supporting SOLARCYCLE’s continued growth and success.”

Senior Regional Project Manager Lori Dowdy represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the Development Authority of Polk County, Georgia Power, and Georgia Quick Start.

“SOLARCYCLE’s technology is important because it takes materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill and puts them back in the supply chain, effectively reducing our reliance on importing new materials,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Northwest Georgia has been a center of manufacturing in Georgia for decades – from providing the flooring we use in our homes and offices to now producing technology for clean energy to power those same buildings. We are excited that our partners and SOLARCYCLE were able to work together to bring the company’s recycling operations online earlier.”

Georgia is a Top Ten state for installed solar, ranking seventh by cumulative solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Georgia’s energy solutions providers are helping to accelerate the development of renewable energy products by lowering risks, reducing costs, providing access to innovative industry research, and investing in a superior infrastructure network.