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George Hershman is the CEO of SOLV Energy (formerly known as Swinerton Renewable Energy), a company that, in my tenure in the industry, has grown to become the largest utility-scale solar Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) company in the US. I’ve been impressed at every turn how George, and his all-star team at SOLV, has consistently delivered the highest quality on almost every standard, excels at employee retention & growth, and is generally considered the premium brand when it comes to EPC firms (both in perception & price!). So, naturally I’ve long-wanted to get George in the SunCast booth to hear the story of how it all came together, and where it’s going from here. In this 2-part interview with George, we cover his extensive background in construction, inception point of his solar career (and Swinerton Rewewables), and how he and the SOLV Team have ridden the wave of the solar revolution these last 13+ years.
George began working for general contractor, Swinerton Builders, in 1997. In 2008, he was tapped to build the company's presence in the growing solar sector. George was employee number-one at Swinerton Renewable Energy, a company which quickly grew into the country’s largest grid-level solar installer and the #1 Solar Contractor in America. George has spent his career in general construction management. His wide expertise in energy issues, trade policy, construction projects, and the technical hurdles that the solar industry currently faces gave plenty of headroom for a wide-ranging discussion, so we navigate topics from across the spectrum of startup culture and corporate growth and we get into the challenges inherent in growing anything as big as what his company has become.
In 2021, Swinerton Renewable Energy and its wholly owned subsidiary SOLV, Inc. merged into a single company, SOLV Energy. George and I get into the details of the decision to pursue the merger and spinout from Swinerton. As CEO of SOLV Energy, he continues to position the company at the forefront of the renewable energy economy. And, In recognition of his broad expertise as a renewable energy business leader, George was voted to serve as Chair of the Solar Energy Industry Association’s (SEIA) Board of Directors for a second term in 2022.
Fun Fact, George is also an avid sailor, recently participating in San Diego's Hot Rum Series with the boat he co-owns. The boat’s called “GoodEnergy”, in case you get the chance to meet him in a happy someday and want a good starter conversation! In the second half of the interview we delve into his work at the Solar Energy Industries Association (where he’s now serving a second term as Chairman of the Board) and the opportunities that we have as an industry to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the coming years. George also shares his candid views on leadership & team building, the legacy of mentors in his own career, and how he thinks about building talent among his own team.
“I want entrepreneurship to be infectious in this business, and I want to support it.”
SOLV is a success story on so many fronts, and It was an honor to get a chance to hear it from George himself. As Jim Rohn says, “Success leaves clues”, and in the case of Swinerton & SOLV Energy the fingerprint & evidence of their impact on our industry is evident and will endure for decades to come.
Timestamps
Part 1
(6:57) The entrepreneurial bug early on
(9:21) Willingness to take risks
(13:41) A culture of failing forward
(20:03) Companies that inspires George
(26:49) Swinerton back in 1997
(31:52) A renewables opportunity at Swinerton
(35:56) Going all in on utility scale solar
(40:27) Swinerton in the Mexico market
(42:53) Building vs owning & operating
(47:49) Long term strategy for solar installation
(52:07) A single service EPC through O & M
(55:50) The importance of being involved with CEA
(59:15) Wrap up
Part 2
(3:54) The evolution of a brand
(7:42) Covering both aspects, building it and maintaining it
(10:06) Driving costs down for the end client
(13:19) Critical elements that CEA will play in the coming years according to George
(15:47) A culture of excellence
(22:09) Success in our industry
(25:29) Lessons from George's mentors
(28:46) George's habits that has impacted his life
(32:35) Engaging with SOLV
(34:45) George's bold prediction
(38:30) Wrap up
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“Turn the lights on, and turn the lights off, and you’ll be successful.”
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
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