YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Sun Solar LLC CEO Caleb Arthur used federal tax cuts and lemonade from the lemons of President Donald Trump’s solar panel tariff to add 30 new jobs to his company.
Arthur credits his expansion to recent federal tax reform, which reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. Additionally, he said a new 30 percent United States tariff on imported solar equipment caused him to reflect on how the company could operate more efficiently.
Arthur said he planned for changes from the tariff into the approximate $28 million 2018 Sun Solar budget, with the goal of not increasing charges to clients. When the federal tax cuts were announced, Arthur spoke with company accountants to estimate how the extra money could be used toward growth.
“We were going over how much flexibility it would give us to grow in 2018, and we were planning on growing anyway. It helped us speed up the process,” he said. “It allowed us to expand probably twice as much as we were originally anticipating.”
Arthur said Sun Solar already hired 15 of the positions and expects to fill the other 15 in the next two months. The new hires will add to the company’s current 100 staffers – 17 percent of which are military veterans. According to a news release, Sun Solar is attempting to have veterans account for 25 percent of its workforce.
Additionally, Sun Solar spent $1 million to buy a 15,400-square-foot facility for its headquarters at 2531 N. Patterson Ave., with plans to move in by May, according to a news release. The space was formerly occupied by Springfield Sign & Graphics Inc., which in 2017 moved to Partnership Industrial Center.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, photovoltaic installation is the No. 1 fastest-growing occupation in the United States from 2016-2026.
Sun Solar was the No. 1 fastest-growing company in Springfield Business Journal’s 2017 Dynamic Dozen. At the time, the company installed 2,500 solar panels per month.
Business owners and friends Kandice Alexander and Inna Oksenchuk now share space under one roof; Larry Ellison sold his half of EllisonLiggett Litigation Consultants; and Dacia LLC opened.
Travis Miller, Owner and Senior Structural Engineer with Miller Engineering, says his experience in the construction industry paid off when he opened his engineering firm. Miller says being a …
“If I were to plan that out, that would never have looked like the best time to have children,” says Jessica Kruse, Associate Circuit Judge, Division 3 in Christian County. Kruse and her husband …
“When searching for an assisted living community for your loved one, we want to make sure that it meets their personality and their personal needs,” says Alecia Robinson, Administrator at …
“It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the wonderful idea that you have, that you can set aside the things that are really going to make that work,” says Debra Horn, Senior Associate with BKD, LLP. …
Shawn Usery, Chief Medical Officer at Cox Medical Center Branson, says two staff members at his high school helped him become the person he is today. “So, I was always that kid who was never going …
“It can be difficult to describe the utility of emerging technology, especially immersive tech like virtual reality and augmented reality,” says Tyler Drenon, Director of Marketing and Business …
“It’s all about who you can be and the steps that you take to get there,” says Andrea Sitzes, Executive Director of Show Me Christian County Economic Development. Sitzes met her mentor at the …
“Ready. Set. Give.” is an eight-part series that helps companies create a culture of giving. “One idea is to use an employee outing day to volunteer for an organization so you can accomplish …
Gregg Scholtens, Executive Vice President for Nabholz Construction in Springfield, says Nabholz tries to engage high school students to get them interested in the building industry. Scholtens says …
Joe Shearrer, accountant at Spectrum Accounting, says he had to travel extensively when he worked in the insurance industry. Shearrer decided to switch careers to spend more time at home with his …
