Production at the plant is expected to begin in early 2025.

SYLVANIA, Ohio—Ice Industries Holdings, Inc. is expanding its North American footprint with a new manufacturing facility in Lacassine, Louisiana, that is expected to begin production in early 2025. The plant will initially focus on roll-forming steel back rails for photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that will be manufactured by First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) in New Iberia, Louisiana, beginning in the second half of 2025, Ice Industries said in a release.

The new 150,000-square-foot facility represents a $6 million investment. Once fully commissioned, it is expected to generate 70 new jobs with a competitive wage and benefit package that includes medical insurance and 401(k) programs, the company said.

Ice Industries offers a broad range of capabilities that include deep draw metal stamping; CNC machining; MIG, TIG, and resistance welding; assembly; and rolled and welded pressure vessels. The company also manufactures large format enclosures and provides high volume blanking, automated roll forming, and powder coating.

The company is expecting to use several economic incentives for the new facility, including the Quality Jobs Program, the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) FastStart for assistance with recruiting and training, the Economic Development Award Program, and the Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

“This announcement is a testament to how Louisiana’s all-of-the-above energy strategy is driving new investment and creating opportunities in both emerging and legacy sectors,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “The attraction of innovative companies and their suppliers has set up the state’s world-class manufacturing workforce for continuing success as they strengthen the domestic supply chain. We are proud to welcome Ice Industries to Louisiana and look forward to the years of prosperity to come.”

The new Ice Industries Louisiana facility complements a similar operation in Bowling Green, Ohio, that provides “high quality roll formed products to the solar energy market,” the company said.

“Following the successful collaboration with First Solar that resulted in the founding of Ice Industries Bowling Green, we are excited to further develop our partnership with an American company that is a global industry leader in the production of PV panels,” said Howard Ice, the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Ice Industries, in the release. “Dovetailing with both the United States’ increasing focus and investment in clean energy technology and Ice’s strategy of geographic and market diversity, Ice Industries Louisiana represents a strategic investment in both the company and our country’s manufacturing base.”

Local hiring for general workers, supervisors, material handlers, maintenance, accounting, and operations associates is expected to start in October 2024, when equipment installation will also begin, the company said in the release.

“It is my pleasure to be able to announce the successful establishment of this exciting opportunity for Louisiana and the Jefferson Davis Parish,” Ice added. “I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Jefferson Davis Economic Development Commission as well as the Louisiana Economic Development office, for their invaluable assistance with locating and developing this latest manufacturing site.”

Ice Industries’ expansion is said to represent a continuation of the company’s more than 25-year tradition of geographic and market diversification. The manufacturer serves a diversified customer base in markets ranging from HVAC-R, automotive, commercial and heavy truck, and alternative energy, to filtration, fire and safety, furniture, healthcare, and off-highway vehicles.

The company’s ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and TS 19649 certified production facilities are distributed throughout the central manufacturing corridor, with locations in Cincinnati, Toledo, and Bowling Green, Ohio; Grenada, Mississippi; and Apodaca/Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

“It is our daily mission to showcase the economic benefits, workforce, and operating environment Louisiana has to offer, said Creed Romano, president of Jefferson Davis Parish Economic Development, in the release. “This project is evidence of the success of those efforts. We welcome Ice Industries and these new green energy jobs to Louisiana.”