Silfab Solar picks new director to oversee health and safety at its Fort Mill site. By John Marks September 9, 2026 11:28 AM Gift Article Silfab Solar picked war veteran, engineer and chemical manufacturing expert Jamie Watts as its new corporate director of health and safety. That role will oversee what's become one of the hottest topics in York County for the past three years - the safety of Silfab's site in Fort Mill. Watts will lead safety efforts at the 7149 Logistics Lane site in Fort Mill as well as in Washington state. Watts brings more than 30 years of experience in safety, operations and risk management. "His proven track record in safety leadership and operational excellence aligns perfectly with our commitment to our employees and the communities where we operate," Silfab Solar Chief People Officer Mike Boggs said in announcing the hire. Pushback against Silfab Solar's Fort Mill location. Silfab Solar manufactures and assembles solar panels. There's been public pushback against the company's Fort Mill location since officials in York County approved a tax incentive agreement to bring the company here in 2023. Silfab projected a $150 million investment and 800 new jobs. Debate began not on what Silfab would do, but where. The Logistics Lane site is zoned for light industrial uses, and it's beside a property where two schools opened in the last year. A sizeable group of concerned parents and neighbors have been consistent in their pleas to county and school officials not to allow manufacturing and industrial chemicals at the site. A zoning appeals board in York County determined solar panel manufacturing shouldn't be allowed in light industrial areas, but how that decision applies to the already approved Silfab project has been tied up in litigation. Calls for change intensify. Calls for change intensified in March when reports came in about two chemical releases at the Fort Mill site. Neither presented any danger to the public, the company and public health officials stated. Yet the Fort Mill School District closed nearby Flint Hill Elementary School for two days due to the incidents. Watts brings expertise in health and safety strategy, regulatory compliance, emergency response and large-scale industrial operations. He holds a chemical engineering degree from North Carolina State University and is a licensed engineer. Watts also let more than 250 combat missions and earned the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I am excited to work with leaders throughout the company to continue strengthening our safety culture and drive excellence across our operations," Watts said.

Made in america, powered by the sun: Infinity Drain goes solar with Silfab. September 3, 2026\AMITYVILLE, NY, USA Infinity Drain, in collaboration with Kamtech Solar Solutions, completed a high-performance commercial solar installation at its newly renovated headquarters and manufacturing facility in Amityville, NY. Powered by 1,200 American-made Silfab Solar 530XM bifacial solar panels, four SolarEdge inverters, and a Unirac ballasted racking system, the installation reflects Infinity Drain's commitment to domestic manufacturing. It also extends that philosophy to the way the company powers its facility. The result is a 636 kW DC system designed to generate approximately 590,000 kWh annually, supporting Infinity Drain's sustainability goals while strengthening the long-term resilience of its Long Island operations. Solar Installation Project Overview * Installation Type: Commercial * Installation Year: 2025 * Installer: Kamtech Solar Solutions, Inwood, NY * System Size: 636 kW DC / 480 kW AC (utility interconnection) * Panels: 1,200 Silfab Commercial 530XM bifacial panels * Other Components: 4 SolarEdge inverters (480V) and monitoring platform, Unirac ballasted racking * Estimated Annual Production: Approximately 590,000 kWh/year ABOUT the AMITYVILLE SOLAR project. Infinity Drain wanted their new solar system integrated into the renovation of the headquarters and manufacturing facility, not treated as an engineering afterthought. That consideration meant sizing it to the building's actual load, designing it to operate for decades, and coordinating additional competing schedules. However, a system of this size doesn't progress on one universal timeline. Utility sign-off, engineering review, and local permitting each advance at their own pace, occasionally raising concerns of the project stalling. And while the installation wasn't up and running when they hoped, Infinity Drain and their collaborating partners worked together to address each requirement and keep things moving. The payoff: a reliable system built for steady long-term performance. Why SILFAB SOLAR. The push toward solar grew out of a question Infinity Drain was already asking internally: If domestic manufacturing was central enough to the business to build a brand around, why wouldn't that same standard apply to how the company powers its own facility? That line of thinking led the team to Silfab Solar. Silfab's panels are built in the U.S., which matched Infinity Drain's own sourcing standards, and the bifacial design and efficiency gave the team confidence in the hardware itself. During the evaluation stage, as further proof the panels would hold up over the long run, Kamtech Solar pointed to Silfab's standing as a BloombergNEF Tier-1 manufacturer and its excellent product and performance warranties. Choosing Silfab was about more than selecting a solar panel. It was about partnering with a North American manufacturer whose values around quality, innovation, and long-term performance aligned with its own. - Infinity drain team Early performance & environmental impact. While the system hasn't yet logged a full year online, the early numbers are encouraging. Over its first 8 months, it generated roughly 404.5 MWh, enough to cover an estimated 72% of the facility's electricity use during that period, measured against historical consumption for the same months. Projected across a full year, Infinity Drain expects the system to offset around 70% of total electricity needs and cut an estimated 350,000 pounds of CO[2] annually. Output climbs further in warmer months; from April through August, the system is expected to cover the facility's electricity use in full. Investing in people & community. Infinity Drain treats the system as one part of a broader effort to run the business responsibly - for the people who work there, the customers it serves, and the community around it. Because the installation went in alongside a full renovation of the headquarters and manufacturing facility, it functions less like an add-on and more like a permanent piece of how the site now operates. Lower grid dependence and reduced emissions are part of the payoff, but so is a more predictable energy budget for a facility built to support domestic manufacturing for years to come. Those efficiencies extend beyond the factory floor, enabling Infinity Drain to invest further in community programs such as Mission Belly Full. Since its launch in 2020, the 501(c)(3) organization has delivered more than 115,000 meals and continues to provide weekly support to the Amityville, NY community. A model for domestic manufacturing & clean energy. In addition to domestic sourcing and a product line made with roughly 95% recycled content, Infinity Drain can now add solar power to its growing list of sustainability initiatives. They point to this installation as a marker of where its operations are headed, guided by the same principles it applies across the business: transparency, traceability, transformation, and trust. ABOUT INFINITY DRAIN Infinity Drain is a leading manufacturer of luxury architectural drainage solutions, designed and produced almost entirely in the USA at its Long Island, NY facility. The company is best known for its custom fabrication work and its award-winning Site Sizable(R) linear drain, which helped define the modern linear drain category. Infinity Drain builds residential and commercial projects of every scale around a simple idea: where science meets art. Learn more at infinitydrain.com. ABOUT KAMTECH SOLAR SOLUTIONS Kamtech Solar Solutions, based in Inwood, NY, served as the installer and distributor for the Infinity Drain project, delivering a commercial solar system designed to meet the facility's performance and reliability requirements. ABOUT SILFAB SOLAR COMMERCIAL PANELS Silfab Commercial panels are designed and engineered to meet the needs of commercial projects where maximum power density is required. Ongoing research into commercially viable innovations ensures that Silfab panels are manufactured using leading-edge technology that results in lower energy costs and increased financial viability. When American stakeholders want the best, they turn to Silfab Solar.

Silfab Solar warns York County: Forcing us to move could have 'chilling effect' By John Marks Updated July 30, 2026 10:17 AM Gift Article Silfab Solar has issued a not-too-subtle warning to York County: Any attempt to force the controversial company to move would trigger lawsuits and have a "chilling effect" on the county's ability to recruit new business. The Canadian solar panel manufacturer made that statement in a late Wednesday letter from Silfab President and CEO Paolo Maccario to York County Council. In March, a pair of chemical releases at Silfab led to temporary school closures at nearby Flint Hill Elementary School, and heightened community concerns. His letter comes ahead of a special called meeting Thursday in York where council will meet in executive session to discuss Silfab and a recent court order limiting where solar panel manufacturing can happen. There's been pressure on the county from local lawmakers to limit Silfab's operations or move it from Fort Mill. Silfab has been a hotly debated topic since York County approved a deal three years ago to bring the company to 7149 Logistics Lane in Fort Mill. Residents argued manufacturing using chemicals shouldn't be allowed near homes and schools. The county approved Silfab plans based on its $150 million investment and 800 projected jobs. After the Silfab deal was approved, the York County Board of Zoning Appeals determined solar panel manufacturing shouldn't be allowed on properties zoned for light industrial use, like the Silfab site. The company and York County argued that rule apples to future projects, but not Silfab, since that deal was already in motion. Silfab Solar wants York County to 'follow through' on commitment. Silfab has since become an economic engine in York County, according to the letter from the company. More than 700 of the company's 1,200 jobs are in Fort Mill. The recent court ruling involved a zoning decision and wasn't related to safety or regulatory compliance, the letter said. Silfab hasn't caused off-site injuries and the company hasn't been citied for workplace injuries, the letter said. "As we follow through on our commitments, we respectfully ask our partners to follow through on the commitments they made to us, as well," Maccario said in his letter. "This includes fostering an environment in which our employees can safely and confidently come to work each day knowing that decisions affecting their workplace will be guided by facts, law and a commitment to the well-being of York County residents." Silfab it is doing everything it can to operate safely in Fort Mill, Maccairo said, and there's no basis for making the company move. The letter references challenges as Silfab has begun work in Fort Mill. "While there have been challenges as we have ramped up operations, there is no legal or public safety basis for any action that would limit our ability to operate," Maccario said. Doing so would cause harm to the company, customers, employees and their families, according to Maccario. "It would also have negative implications for the York County community and state," he said, "force unnecessary litigation regarding a taking of our property rights, jeopardize the significant investment the state and York County have made to recruit Silfab to come to South Carolina, have a chilling effect as other companies weigh business opportunities here and establish a concerning precedent that could allow zoning boards in other communities to reverse course and terminate business operations after businesses have been built and began operations." Council's 5:30 p.m. meeting Thursday doesn't have a decision on the agenda to vote on, but lists "matters for consideration" after executive session that could include a decision on the company. Growing push for action on Silfab. Fort Mill residents have been vocal at town, county and school board meetings the past three years asking that Silfab not be allowed to operate on Logistics Lane. Many elected officials throughout the area joined that call following the March incidents, and echoed it after the recent court decision. State Sen. Michael Johnson sent a letter to York County and the state environmental department on Friday asking for a cease-and-desist order to Silfab for all manufacturing operations based on the new court ruling. He posted Monday on his Facebook page that York County "needs to revoke permits immediately." The Fort Mill School District sent a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster and other state officials on Friday calling for "immediate and decisive" action to make Silfab comply with the recent court ruling. State Rep. David Martin also sent the county and the state environmental department a letter on Monday that there's now a clear court ruling showing solar panel manufacturing shouldn't be allowed in light industrial areas. Fort Mill families deserve answers, transparency and enforcement of the law, he said in a Facebook post. "The court has spoken," Martin said. "Now it is time to act." This is a developing story. This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 9:41 AM.