A solar startup with local ties plans to add 40 jobs as it expands to serve the metro area.
EightTwenty, a new energy services company, recently opened an 8,000-square-foot office and warehouse at 97 Industrial Way in Charlestown, Indiana. It announced the hiring effort in a news release earlier this week.
As I reported in July, EightTwenty was founded in 2021 by Kent Cissell, a Southern Indiana native and Louisville Business First Forty Under 40 honoree, and Tony Capucille. The co-founders met while working at Heartland, a division of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), one of the largest payment processors in the U.S.
EightTwenty looks to provide solar, storage and EV charging to homeowners, commercial businesses and tax-exempt institutions throughout Middle America. Its product set also includes exclusively engineered and designed solar carports, pergolas and canopies to fit any environment.
“EightTwenty exists to empower people to live solar. We work and live in the communities we serve, making us very proud to bring solar power to our neighbors," Cissell, president of EightTwenty, said in the release.
To date, EightTwenty has built a full-service team of 90-plus employees, prioritizing customer experience through sales, design and project delivery. The majority of its employees are in Oklahoma City, where the company got its start.
“EightTwenty is unique in Louisville delivering solar, storage, and EV solutions with all in-house teammates,” Cissell said. “We are proud of the company we keep at EightTwenty with an incredibly talented team of energy consultants, designers, solar technicians and some of the best investors and partners that one can hope to find in the Louisville area. We are all committed to delivering solar solutions in Kentucky, Indiana and beyond.”
EightTwenty’s business model is drawing the attention of prospective customers and investors throughout the Midwest including the Louisville region, Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and Dallas/Fort Worth.
As part of its commitment to the local community, EightTwenty also contributes a portion of its proceeds to Give Solar projects in the Louisville community, the release continued, which empower nonprofits to generate their own energy and reduce or eliminate a major operational expense for decades.
“Our mission extends beyond our customers, with a strategic emphasis to also support communities through EightTwenty’s Give Solar program. We donate a portion of the proceeds to give solar to an organization making a difference with those in greatest need,” said Capucille, CEO at EightTwenty.
In July, EightTwenty was halfway through an $8 million fundraising round, with a goal of raising $1 million of $4 million remaining in Louisville. At the time, Cissell declined to share specifics on revenue, but said the company is seeing steep growth, having installed a megawatt of solar in the past 12 months.
