Solero Growth Adds 86 Jobs
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Solero Technologies CEO Dr. Donald R. James discusses the company’s plans for growth during a 2024 meeting in Water Valley.
WATER VALLEY — Solero Technologies will invest more than $14 million in its Water Valley manufacturing operation in an expansion expected to create 86 new jobs.
The Mississippi Development Authority announced the project Thursday, saying the expansion includes the addition of 14 manufacturing lines at the Water Valley plant along with significant improvements to the facility.
Upgrades will include electrical systems, information technology infrastructure, heating and cooling systems, compressed air systems, roofing and flooring.
Solero’s Water Valley operation is the company’s largest production facility globally and has been part of the local manufacturing community for more than 50 years.
Mayor Tommy Reynolds said Solero’s importance to Water Valley extends well beyond the latest investment.
“This business is an irreplaceable part of the heart of Water Valley,” Reynolds said. “We are so proud of its heritage and blessed to have Solero in our community. We look forward to a continued great future with them in our city.”
The state is assisting the expansion through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program. The Yalobusha County Economic Development District is also supporting the project.
Solero CEO Dr. Donald R. James said the Water Valley plant will play an important role in the company’s plans for continued growth.
“Solero’s vision is to become a top three global leader in mobility controls technology,” James said. “As we work to grow the company into a more than $1 billion enterprise, continued investment in our Water Valley, Mississippi, facility will be essential to advancing our growth strategy and supporting Solero’s future product development transformation in global mobility.”
James said the company values its partnership with Mississippi and the state’s investment in Solero’s continued growth.
The expansion builds on growth plans Solero officials have discussed locally over the past two years. In December 2024, company officials announced plans to bring 14 additional production lines to Water Valley as part of the consolidation of operations from a plant in Shelby, North Carolina. At the time, officials estimated the expansion would add approximately 80 to 90 jobs.
Equipment associated with that expansion was arriving and being installed in Water Valley by late 2025 as the company continued to forecast additional growth.
Yalobusha County Economic Development District Executive Director Kagan Coughlin said the latest investment builds on a manufacturing operation that has been a major part of the local economy for generations.
“The skilled workforce in Yalobusha County and the talented leadership at Solero Technologies have built a 50 year legacy of success in rural America based on hard work, innovation, and perseverance,” Coughlin said.
Coughlin credited Atar Capital, which acquired the business in 2022, with recognizing the foundation already in place.
“We appreciate the resources the State of Mississippi is able to provide in support of this latest round of investment and job creation at Solero,” Coughlin added. “We look forward to the company’s growth, and welcoming the families that relocate to our communities to contribute to that growth.”
Gov. Tate Reeves said Solero’s expansion reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Mississippi.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is supporting the project in partnership with the Mississippi Development Authority, Water Valley Utilities Commission, City of Water Valley and Yalobusha County Economic Development District.
The Water Valley plant opened in 1972 as a Holley Carburetor operation and has remained one of Yalobusha County’s largest manufacturing employers through a succession of owners and changes in automotive technology. Atar Capital acquired BorgWarner’s North American Controls business in late 2022, and the operation subsequently became Solero Technologies.
