TIPTON, Ind. (AP) — A local official says a solar panel manufacturer planning a major factory in central Indiana has kept up its commitments even as some residents worry about its future after the high-profile bankruptcy of a competitor.
Abound Solar plans to start production at an unfinished factory near Tipton during 2013 and eventually employ 800 to 1,000 people with a $400 million federal loan guarantee.
Tipton County Commissioner Jane Harper tells the Kokomo Tribune (http://bit.ly/nGYPDX ) that residents began contacting her soon after solar company Solyndra collapsed after receiving a similar federal loan.
Harper says that Abound Solar is working on the Tipton plant and keeping in touch with local officials.
An Abound Solar spokeswoman says it is on track for opening the Tipton plant and has filled some management positions there.