Wood-Mode reps tour solar array
Aug. 31—KREAMER — Wood-Mode LLC's 16-acre solar array will begin operating soon and help reduce the Kreamer company's costs significantly, General Manager Rod Hunter said.
A group of company representatives toured the 2.4-megawatt, ground-mounted solar field located near the plant off Route 522 during Wood-Mode LLC's fourth anniversary celebration Thursday.
"It sends all the right signals that Wood-Mode is environmentally sustainable," said Scott Collins, a company representative from Washington, D.C.
Sheep will be added to the field next week to keep the grass manicured, Hunter said.
"It requires 50 sheep, but we're starting with 25," he said.
Hunter said a separate larger roof-top solar array will be installed on the plant next week, with plans to have it operable by February. Combined with the solar field, enough power will be produced to reduce the company's annual $1.8 million electricity costs between 70 and 80 percent, he said.
"It will provide enough energy to power up our rough mill operations," Hunter added.
The solar panels are among millions of dollars in upgrades that Wood-Mode LLC owner Bill French has invested in the custom cabinetry business since purchasing the assets of the former Wood-Mode Inc. three months after it abruptly closed in May 2019 after 77 years.
The closure put nearly 1,000 people out of work. Today, Wood-Mode LLC employs 587.
"We've come a long way," Hunter said.
That's evident, said Collins, who has served as a representative for the Wood-Mode brand for 39 years.
Wood-Mode LLC "came out stronger and more attuned to the market," he said.
