APA Solar Racking opens new Ohio headquarters to expand manufacturing campus
New 30,000‑square‑foot APA Solar headquarters in Ridgeville Corners will anchor a Foundations Center of Excellence and five‑acre test site, strengthening Ohio’s position in utility‑scale solar manufacturing and engineering.
Array Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRY) announced this week it has opened a new 30,000‑square‑foot headquarters for APA Solar, expanding its manufacturing campus in northwest Ohio.
The facility anchors a new “Foundations Center of Excellence” and a five‑acre solar testing site aimed at one of the sector’s toughest problems: installing utility‑scale solar on sites with difficult soils and frost‑heave risk.
The big picture
As the U.S. shifts toward domestic renewable energy, the how of installation is becoming as important as the what. APA Solar, which has operated in Ohio since 2008, specializes in racking and foundation systems that keep solar panels secured in difficult soils and frost‑prone climates. By co‑locating engineering, sales, and manufacturing in Ridgeville Corners, the company says it can shorten the time it takes to move a product from design to deployment.
By the numbers
- 30,000: Square footage of the new headquarters building.
- 5 acres: Size of the on‑campus solar site dedicated to research, testing, and training.
- 2008: The year APA Solar was founded in Ohio.
Why it matters for Ohio tech
The expansion reinforces Ohio’s growing reputation as a hub for the “hard tech” side of the energy transition. While much of the national conversation focuses on software or batteries, the structural engineering required for large‑scale solar fields is becoming a high‑stakes field of its own.
“The integration of APA Solar into Array has exceeded our expectations,” said Kevin G. Hostetler, CEO of Array Technologies. “This facility positions us for our next phase of innovation.”
The innovation play
The new Foundations Center of Excellence will focus on interoperability between APA’s foundation solutions and Array’s global solar tracking technology, engineering for challenging soils and frost‑heave conditions, and bringing customer‑facing roles together with domestic manufacturing and engineering talent on a single campus.
APA Solar CEO Josh Von Deylen said the headquarters represents an investment in both people and place. “It brings our team together under one roof in a space designed for collaboration, growth, and innovation,” he said.
What’s next
The move signals a deeper commitment to U.S. manufacturing at a time when supply‑chain reliability remains a top priority for utility‑scale solar developers. For Ohio, it’s another win in the effort to keep the state on the clean‑energy manufacturing map.
