Category Archives: Chairman’s Council Spotlight

La Cantera Hill Country Resort prepares for major transformation

By North SA Chamber Editor
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180x150-LaCanteraSince La Cantera Hill Country Resort first opened its doors 15 years ago, it has served hundreds of thousands of visitors from nearly every corner of the world. From one of the highest vantage points in San Antonio, the resort’s breathtaking views have provided a relaxing year-round retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, and the staff has had the distinct privilege of helping guests turn milestone moments, corporate retreats and even quick getaways into lasting memories.

To continue providing the best guest experience possible, La Cantera is embarking on a comprehensive transformation in the coming months. The resort’s front entrance, lobby and lobby bar will undergo an extensive reconfiguration, along with a complete redesign of the San Saba Courtyard at the resort’s core. A new event lawn will provide a gathering spot for those who want to soak in the unparalleled Hill Country oasis.

A new junior ballroom will be developed, along with expanded meeting and convention space. Foodies and casual diners alike will enjoy new restaurant, bar and lounge concepts, as well as redesigned, contemporary pools and family areas. An entirely new, freestanding destination spa will be erected to help guests lose themselves in tranquility. Each element of the comprehensive renovation strategy has been specifically designed to relax, inspire and meet the needs of business and leisure visitors to San Antonio with an unrivaled blend of relaxed sophistication and never-ending discovery.

Although the resort will temporarily suspend overnight stays and restaurant operations beginning November 3, many staff will still be on site, involved in ongoing operations and preparations. Full-time associates who won’t be involved in day-to-day transformation activities will be more visible within the community as they enjoy paid leave through early April 2015. This ongoing commitment to the resort’s valued associates is reflected in the quality of service guests receive.

The La Cantera championship Resort and Palmer 18-hole golf courses, featuring the newly opened Dave Pelz Scoring Game School, will remain open throughout the transformation – as will their respective clubhouses and adjacent event venues. Officially launched on October 15, the Dave Pelz golf school will help professional students and weekend players alike master their short game and putting. La Cantera is the first Texas resort to offer Pelz’s full array of instructional offerings. A schedule of one-day clinics and three-day game schools is available at www.pelzgolf.com

In these final weeks before the transformation begins, the staff at La Cantera hopes to see many guests taking one last stroll through the resort –for the special “Last Taste of Francesca’s” menu, featuring favorite recipes from the past 15 years, or a final dip in the resort’s sparkling pools before they are transformed.

The La Cantera Hill Country Resort has enjoyed strong support the San Antonio community for the past 15 years, and the team looks forward to serving the community in the spring of 2015 when it unveils a world-class destination resort – setting a new standard in hospitality for business and leisure travelers in San Antonio and beyond.

BKD Sails into the Windy City

By North SA Chamber Editor
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180x150-BKDTed Dickman, CEO of national CPA and advisory firm BKD, LLP, is proud to announce that BKD and Chicago-based accounting firm Wolf & Company are joining forces. Wolf will officially become part of BKD on November 1, 2014.

“BKD and Wolf are an excellent fit for each other,” Dickman said. “In addition to our cultural similarities, both firms focus on offering high-quality service to clients and rewarding career opportunities for our associates. This combination gives us a strong physical presence in the nation’s third-largest market, where we have been looking to get on the ground for several years.”

Wolf is one of the Chicago metropolitan area’s leading CPA and advisory firms, providing a range of services, including wealth management and personal financial planning, to more than 2,000 clients from locations in Oakbrook Terrace and downtown Chicago, Illinois. The addition brings about 140 personnel into the BKD team, including 18 partners. Wolf Managing Partner Russell Romanelli will join BKD as managing partner of BKD Chicago, which will primarily serve clients from its Oakbrook Terrace office.

“This is going to have huge benefits for Wolf, BKD and our clients,” Romanelli said. “Together, our vast knowledge and resources will help us provide better service to an increasingly complex mix of clients.”

BKD’s thought leadership spans many industries and service areas, including wealth management, private equity, corporate finance, business transition, international business, forensics, valuation and technology. Wolf serves many of the same industry niches as BKD, including health care, manufacturing, construction, financial services and not-for-profit.

By adding Wolf, BKD now has 34 offices in 15 states and $475 million in revenue. The firm’s approximately 2,250 personnel, including more than 260 partners, serve clients in all 50 states and internationally. BKD provides a wide range of assurance, tax and accounting outsourcing services. The firm also provides specialized consulting to numerous industries, including health care, financial institutions, insurance, manufacturing, distribution, construction, real estate and energy, along with not-for-profit organizations, governmental entities, colleges and universities.

BKD already serves more than 200 clients in the Chicago area and has one Illinois office in Decatur.

About BKD
BKD, LLP, a national CPA and advisory firm, helps people and businesses realize their goals. Our 2,100 professionals, including approximately 250 partners, offer solutions for clients in all 50 states and internationally. BKD and its subsidiaries offer clients a variety of services, and we combine the insight and ideas of multiple disciplines to provide solutions in a wide range of industries. To learn more, visit bkd.com.

Praxity, AISBL, a global alliance of independent firms, enhances BKD’s ability to serve the dynamic needs of multinational clients. Praxity™ provides the gateway to tax, assurance and consulting services delivered by alliance firms committed to the highest standards required in international business

Increasing demand for SOC Engagements

By North SA Chamber Editor
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kelli falkBy Kelli Falk, CPA, CIA, CISA, CITP

Does your organization perform services for other companies or act as a user organization that outsources some of its processes to another company?  In either case, you should be aware of the guidance related to service organizations.

ps&coIt has now been almost five years since the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) issued its updated guidance related to an entity’s use of service organizations – SSAE No. 16, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization; AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1, AT Section 801) and Attest Engagements AT Section 101, This change was due to the increase in outsourced processes that do not necessarily fall within the financial reporting category previously addressed by Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70, Service Organizations, AU Section 324.

Since that time, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for Service Organization Controls (SOC) engagements.  While you might not think of your company as a service or user organization, there are numerous situations, industries, and even types of companies that would benefit from this type of examination:

  • Confidentiality over records retention for municipalities, marketing plans, etc.
  • Cloud computing/Software as a Service (SaaS)
  • Direct mail marketing
  • Secure printing
  • Data storage/data centers
  • Managed services
  • Medical claims processing
  • Third-party administrator for employee benefit plans
  • Welfare case management
  • Gambling systems
  • Secure payment processing/lockbox services
  • Loan processing
  • Title companies
  • Hospice organizations
  • Payroll processing
  • Records management

The extent of these engagements can vary greatly; some might only consider confidentiality of customer data, while others cover all aspects of an application’s processing integrity.  The scope is entirely up to the service organization and is based on the needs of its users.

The increase in these engagements is due to recent high-profile security breaches and the never-ending push for tighter security.  Because of these, user organizations have become much more aware of their needs related to outsourcing their processes.  They have learned – sometimes the hard way – that just because a process is outsourced, the associated risks are not.

This is where the SOC engagements enter the picture.  They are designed to cover any controls over which users need assurance.  It is also a great benefit for the service organizations themselves because they can be audited one time instead of continually answering questions from their customers’ auditors, or even incurring significant time and resources by being audited by each customer’s auditor.  We have seen several instances in which a client needed a SOC report immediately because they could not obtain a lucrative contract without it.  In some cases, clients use the report as a marketing tool to give their prospective customers assurance that their controls are functioning as stated.  The uses of the reports are plentiful.

If you feel you or your service organization needs a SOC engagement over its controls, please feel free to contact Kelli Falk at kelli.falk@padgett-cpa.com or (210) 253-1669 for more information.

Methodist Healthcare FIRST hospital system to pilot CDC Ebola Microsite to aid in educating U.S. healthcare workers

By North SA Chamber Editor
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methodist hcs logoThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reached out to Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio to be the first hospital system in the U.S. to pilot the CDC’s Ebola Microsite for U.S. health care workers on its health care system’s website www.SAHealth.com .

The only other two entities hosting the microsite are the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The microsite is geared at targeting U.S. health care workers on up-to-date Ebola guidelines and recommendations.  This microsite project includes dozens of CDC web pages, a news feed, and a Twitter feed that has been pulled into Methodist Healthcare’s website.

This collaboration with the CDC reinforces Methodist Healthcare’s commitment to the absolute safety of its own health care workers and those in the community it serves.

Though NO cases of the Ebola Virus Disease have been found in San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare is following all recommendations of the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services in the event that they should receive a patient infected with Ebola.

At Methodist Healthcare the safety of patients, staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors is always a top priority as the health care system has a robust infection control system, with a staff trained and prepared to take care of patients with a variety of infectious diseases, including Ebola.  In addition, the System has an epidemiologic emergency policy in place.

Methodist Healthcare’s standard policy is to use universal precautions for every patient, in addition, they have specific practices for Ebola, which include:

  • Isolation of patients with suspected Ebola from contact with unprotected persons
  • Wearing of protective clothing (including masks, gloves, impermeable gowns, and goggles or face shields) by persons who care for Ebola patients
  • Limitation of people who have access to the areas where the Ebola patients would be treated
  • The use of other infection-control measures (such as complete equipment sterilization and routine use of disinfectant)
  • Avoid touching the bodies of patients who have died from Ebola Methodist also has specific practices in place to help identify and manage potential cases.

Methodist also has specific practices in place to help identify and manage potential cases. These include:

  • A screening tool to document contagious respiratory illnesses or fever combined with recent travel outside the U.S.
  • Isolation precautions for patients who exhibit symptoms and have recently traveled to affected areas
  • Use of personal protective equipment by caregivers
  • Rigorous use of effective cleaning and disinfection practices for equipment surfaces, supplies and other items used in providing care for the patient
  • Internal communications among care-givers to limit potential exposure
  • Immediate reporting to our local health departmentThe public is invited to look up the most current news and education pieces on Ebola by visiting Methodist Healthcare’s website at www.SAHealth.com, and by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

About Methodist Healthcare
Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio (MHS) began as Methodist Hospital, chartered in 1955 by the United Methodist Church.  Since that time, MHS has grown to what is now the largest health care provider in South and Central Texas with 27 facilities, including nine acute care hospitals serving over 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually, expanding its vision of world class health care to San Antonio and 26 surrounding counties.

 

The System’s ownership structure is a 50/50 co-ownership between not-for-profit Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) and for-profit Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). With equal partnership control, MHS assures a dynamic balance in its mission: serving humanity to honor God by providing exceptional and cost-effective healthcare accessible to all.

 

Led by a culture of Methodist Excellence, the over 8,000 staff and volunteers combined with a medical staff of over 2,500, dedicate themselves to continuous quality improvement by committing to live by Methodist Excellence mission,vision and values.

Methodist Healthcare has achieved many awards for clinical excellence and quality outcomes as well innovation and people’s choice awards. Receiving the Texas Award for Performance Excellence in 2014 is a testament to Methodist Healthcare being selected as the most preferred and trusted health care system each and every year.

Broadway Bank: So what season is it?

By North SA Chamber Editor
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BroadwayBank_Logo_tagKyle - Headshot - Casualby Kyle Gubernator, Broadway Bank Wealth Management Division 

Several years ago, with our boys starting elementary school, my friend, Mike, proudly shared his son’s response to a recent test question. The question asked students to name the four seasons.  Chad’s response was dove season, quail season, turkey season and deer season. To this day, I don’t understand how a teacher could mark the answer wrong, and my only criticism is that Chad didn’t include a reference to antelope, javelina, pheasant, geese and duck seasons in the margins.

In Texas, dove season is a month old and most of the other seasons are so close at hand that minds are wandering and work productivity is already declining. While Texas boasts three of the top ten largest cities in the United States, we still have one foot firmly rooted in hunting and outdoor recreation. We do things in a big way in Texas and the statistics prove this out.  We have the highest number of white-tailed deer in the nation, between 3.3 and 4 million.  We also have the highest deer harvest, around 550,000 annually. In 2012, outdoor enthusiasts purchased 2.58 million hunting, fishing or combined licenses, generating $86.2 million in revenues. The impact on the Texas economy is even greater, estimated between $2 and $4 billion.

The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University reported more than 5,000 rural land transactions in 2012 with landmark prices occurring in 2012 and into 2013.  Not surprising, most of these properties were purchased for recreational use, which in Texas is synonymous with hunting.  Equally impressive is that hunting lease rates continue to increase with rent eclipsing the $15-per-acre mark becoming increasingly common. So what is it that drives hundreds of thousands of hunters to the woods, brush, fields, plains and marshes each fall?  Part of the answer lies in both the abundance and the quality of the quarry that we hunt.  However, from my perspective, the real answer is more subtle and deeper rooted.

Hunting bonds us to nature, our family and our friends. It renews us after a long week of work, provides an outlet for our stresses and distractions, and stirs the memories of shared moments.  I started hunting with my dad when I was 6 years old.  The mornings always started at 4:30 a.m. and I remember the sound of his voice urging me to get up, the smell of the Texas Hill Country at dawn, seeing my breath pasted against a rising sun in the cold fall air, my dad’s steady hand when I was overcome by buck fever, and sleeping with my head on his lap as we drove home in our 1960 GMC truck on Sunday night.

My kids are grown now, but some of our greatest memories are those we made at the deer lease.  We have logged hundreds of hours staring trance-like into the mesquite embers of our fires, all the more memorable with the aroma of peach cobbler baked in a Dutch oven.  Both of my kids learned to drive by age 10 and barely big enough to reach the clutch in my 39-year-old GMC pickup, “Old Blue.”  They too, have the memories of the smell of early morning in the brush country, the sight of their breath hanging in the winter air, the unexpected heart rate when a rutting whitetail buck steps from the brush, and falling asleep exhausted and content at the end of the day.

The great outdoors and hunting have been a consistent gift and teacher during my lifetime.  Almost by definition, the conveniences are fewer and the hardships are greater. This is where practical life lessons like changing a flat tire, starting a fire and hard work come in greater quantities for kids.  This is a place where you learn respect for life and one another,  where friendships grow deeper and memories are made. My dad told me when I was young, “remember, always go for the trip, and anything you bring home is just extra.”  His message is just as accurate today as it was then.  We are blessed to have some of the nation’s best hunting opportunities, but it is the bond to nature, our heritage, family and friends that stirs us this time of year.  The wonderful thing about my own experiences is that they are duplicated countless times by others each season—those with whom I share a common bond and heritage, hunters.  As I wonder what this season will have in store for me, I also wonder, “what is your favorite season?”

Kyle Gubernator,
Native Texan
Lifelong Hunter and Outdoorsman
Senior Vice President and Department Head of the Real Estate/Farm & Ranch Group
Broadway Bank Wealth Management Division

Contact Kyle if you would like to share your own outdoor experience or visit with him about how Broadway Bank might help manage your family’s or your farm or ranch property.

About Broadway Bank
Headquartered in San Antonio, Broadway Bank was founded in 1941. It has evolved from a small neighborhood bank into one of the largest independently owned banks in Texas. Today, Broadway Bank continues to function as a family-owned and operated financial institution. Broadway Bank offers a full range of sophisticated financial services, including personal banking, private banking, military banking, business banking and wealth management. With $3 billion in total assets, the highly rated Bank operates 40 locations in San Antonio, Austin and the surrounding areas. Visit the Broadway Bank website at broadwaybank.com for more information.

Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade announces additions to executive team

By North SA Chamber Editor
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180x150-OmniSA
The Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade, an award-winning four diamond hotel, is pleased to announce the following additions to its executive team:

Omar CrespoOmar Crespo
Director of Human Resources
Prior to joining the Omni Colonnade Executive team, Crespo was Director of of Human Resources for We Manage, Inc., overseeing 300 employees from three hotels, three golf clubs and the corporate administrative offices.

Jeremy Lander
Jeremy S. Lander, CHSE
Director, Sales & Marketing
Prior to joining the Omni Colonnade, Lander was Director of Group Sales at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin.

_CynthiaRivera
Cynthia Rivera
Director of Finance
Prior to joining the Omni Colonnade executive team, Rivera was Assistant Director of Finance at the Omni La Mansion del Rio in San Antonio.

Delfin Ortiz
Also of note: General Manager Delfin Ortiz recently received the Omni Hotels’ 2013 General Manager of the Year Award for Customer Service

30th Annual H-E-B Tree Lighting Celebration

By North SA Chamber Editor
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HelpingHere CMYK1BlkOnlyH-E-B would like to invite the community to join in to see the lights and sounds of the holiday come to life during the 30th Annual H-E-B Tree Lighting Celebration taking place in Alamo Plaza.

The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, Nov. 28th – the day after Thanksgiving.

The free community celebration begins at 3 p.m. with kid-friendly events, including musical entertainment, face painting activities and balloon artists.

The 55-foot white fir Christmas tree is H-E-B’s annual gift to the city. In previous years, H-E-B has dedicated the tree to have to an education and military themes.

This year, the tree will honor and celebrate the newly opened Tobin Center for the Performing Arts located in downtown San Antonio. The Tobin – which opened on September 4th  – is a world-class performing arts center situated in the city’s old municipal auditorium.

Currently, there are more than a 100 acts that are booked in the next few months, connecting arts patrons, major performance organizations and the surrounding counties.

The 55-foot Christmas tree will feature over 10,000 LED environmentally-friendly lights and handmade ornaments that will depict musical instruments in honor of the Tobin.

Among the performers at this year’s H-E-B Tree Lighting Celebration will be the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and the Ballet San Antonio, who will be showcasing selections of the enduring classic, “The Nutcracker.”

A nine-minute looped San Antonio Symphony holiday performance will be synched up with the Christmas tree lights for a spectacular show that will be sure to delight attendees.

Santa Claus is scheduled to arrive in a horse drawn carriage, and will light the tree with a merry “Ho-Ho” to officially kick off the holiday season in San Antonio.

The lighting will signal the end of the tree festivities and the beginning of the Ford Holiday River Parade on the River Walk which will immediately follow.

In the days leading up the big ceremony, H-E-B customers will be treated to pop up performances at 30 San Antonio stores to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the tree lighting.

 

Morningside Ministries named winner of $350,000 Humana Communities Benefit Grant in San Antonio

By North SA Chamber Editor
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MM-Main-logo-300x108Morningside Ministries, San Antonio’s oldest and largest not-for-profit, faith-based senior care organization, is the recipient of the inaugural $350,000 Humana Communities Benefit grant in San Antonio, which is funded by the Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM).

Morningside Ministries currently provides residential care to more than 800 older adults in the greater San Antonio community and extensive training services for their caregivers. Using the $350,000 Humana Communities Benefit grant, Morningside Ministries will expand its web-based training program, mmLearn.org, a nationally-recognized website that provides support and educational training to caregivers of seniors. The –enhanced e-learning website will provide caregivers an all-encompassing support system with educational videos on nutrition and medication management programs, mental illness, senior exercise routines, caregiver health and other valuable resources.

“The role of a caregiver can be difficult with little resources available that address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of older adults in their care,” said Alvin A. Loewenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Morningside Ministries. “Thanks to the generous grant from Humana, countless families suddenly finding themselves in the role of caregiver will finally find the training and support they need to provide the best possible care to their loved ones, as well as for their own needs.”

In its inaugural year in San Antonio, the Humana Communities Benefit charitable giving program provided 501(c)(3) organizations in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson counties the opportunity to apply for this year’s grant. The Humana Communities Benefit program awards nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations a total of $350,000, provided in three installments over a three-year period.

“Morningside Ministries’ proposal to create a sustainable and life-changing support system for seniors and their caregivers exemplifies the goals of the Humana Communities Benefit program,” said Pattie Dale Tye, Vice President, Humana. “Humana has had a presence in San Antonio for more than three decades and we’re thrilled to help such a deserving nonprofit improve the quality of life for countless caregivers throughout the greater community.”

The San Antonio Food Bank, an organization that provides food and grocery products throughout Southwest Texas, and ChildSafe, a children’s advocacy center that provides hope, healing and support to children and their families who have been traumatized by abuse, were the other two finalists.

The three organizations participated in the inaugural online community vote hosted on HumanaHCBVote.com. One of this year’s many new features, the online vote gave the public the opportunity to weigh in on which organization it felt was most deserving of the Humana Communities Benefit grant. The public’s results were included during the final round of judging, which included formal presentations to a panel of community leaders and business representatives, which decided the winning nonprofit in each city.

For more information on the Humana Communities Benefit program, visit www.Humana.com/HCB.

For more information on Morningside Ministries, visit https://www.mmliving.org.

About The Humana Foundation
The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health care companies. Located in Louisville, Ky., the site of Humana’s corporate headquarters, the Foundation focuses on promoting healthy relationships and healthy behaviors. We believe that people who are engaged in caring and supportive relationships, are receptive and more likely to exhibit healthy behaviors; and healthy behaviors result in healthier communities. For more information, visit www.humanafoundation.org.

Humana and the Humana Foundation are dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Our goal is to ensure that every business decision we make reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members, our associates, the communities we serve, and our planet.

About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leading health and well-being company focused on making it easy for people to achieve their best health with clinical excellence through coordinated care. The company’s strategy integrates care delivery, the member experience, and clinical and consumer insights to encourage engagement, behavior change, proactive clinical outreach and wellness for the millions of people we serve across the country.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:

  • Annual reports to stockholders
  • Securities and Exchange Commission filings
  • Most recent investor conference presentations
  • Quarterly earnings news releases
  • Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
  • Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
  • Corporate Governance information

 

Security Service Charitable Foundation donates $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Security Services Federal Credit UnionSecurity Service Charitable Foundation has presented Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas with a $10,000 donation that will be used to help build the South Texas Mentoring Resource Center. Currently, the mentoring organization serves close to 3,000 youth a year, providing support and guidance that at-risk youth lack at home, in school and in their community. With the new center, Big Brothers Big Sisters will be able to grow the program from serving 9,000 youth, parents and volunteers to nearly 100,000 individuals by the year 2030.

BBBSPhoto

(from left) Stephen Oakes, partnership development manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas; Denise Barkhurst, president & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas; Michelle Scott, vice president of consumer lending at Security Service Federal Credit Union; and Julio Manso, chairman of the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas.

“The Big Brothers Big Sisters program has been shown to improve self confidence, self esteem, academic performance and attitude,” says Jim Laffoon, president & CEO of Security Service Federal Credit Union. “Youth in the program show strong relationships with their families, are prepared to make positive decisions and possess a strong sense of their future. It’s an honor to be a part of that.”

The Security Service Charitable Foundation helps further SSFCU’s corporate goal of community service by contributing to deserving organizations and causes in the credit union’s market areas. Learn more at www.ssfcu.org or call 1-800-52-SSFCU.

Media Contacts
Clarissa Rodriguez, 210-476-4490, crodriguez@ssfcu.org
Debi Pfitzenmaier, 210-669-6911, debi@pfitzpr.com (Agency)

 

Mission Solar Energy now manufacturing ‘made-in-San Antonio’ solar panels

By North SA Chamber Editor
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cps energy logoCPS Energy already has more than 130 megawatts of solar power online, bringing clean, renewable energy to customers.

Another 300 MW of sun power is on the way, and that means a lot of solar panels. The good news is, all of those panels will be made right here in San Antonio.

Alamo 1, the first solar farm built as part of our 400-MW agreement with OCI Solar Power, relies on 167,000 panels to generate 45 MW of clean energy. Really… 167,000 panels. Alamo 2, a 4.5 MW farm located on the northeast side, uses 18,000. The latest, a 39 MW farm located in Brackettville, 124 miles west of San Antonio, relies on 150,000 panels.

Four more farms will be built in San Antonio and around Texas over the next three years to complete the agreement. That’s a lot of silicon.

MissionSolar2-617x352Mission Solar Energy employees closely inspect a solar panel for flaws

The panels for the first three OCI Solar Power farms were produced by a foreign manufacturer before Mission Solar Energy set up shop here in San Antonio. The local headquarters and production facility is one of seven new energy companies that have relocated here as part of CPS Energy’s New Energy Economy initiative.

Today, Mission Solar is the only solar panel manufacturing facility in Texas and the only n-type solar manufacturing facility in the country.

“There are two types of silicon used in solar cell manufacturing: p-type and n-type,” says Alex Kim, president and CEO of Mission Solar. “We use n-type because it has a higher efficiency and lasts longer.”

The new 240,000 square foot facility at Brooks City Base (which officially celebrated its opening on Mon., Sept. 22) will manufacture panels exclusively for the remaining OCI Solar farms for the next three years. After that, Mission Solar will target residential and commercial markets.

The Texas-sized factory has a 90,000 square foot “clean” cell manufacturing area. Employees wear lab coats and gloves, and operate multiple inspection stations, to make sure finished solar cells are high quality and offer maximum electrical generation.

Each finished six-by-six inch cell becomes part of a 72-cell panel. The panels are capable of generating up to 325 watts of power each.

“We currently run 50 panels an hour  and will double that once when we’re in full production – all for OCI Solar through 2017,” says Kim.

Mission Solar will soon produce modules 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company will move from one to two lines next year, to produce up to 200 megawatts of manufactured solar power annually. A move to residential production in three years means panels made here may wind up on the homes of you and your neighbors someday.

Yep, homegrown solar power – just like buying a Toyota Tundra made right here in San Antonio.

Mission Solar will need as many as 400 employees for full operation. Already, more the 240, some trained through workforce training programs at the Alamo Colleges, are on board. Almost one out of every five employees are veterans – now working on land once dedicated to the missions of a former Air Force base.

Related Stories:
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CPS Energy looking to grow rooftop and community solar
San Antonio, now 6th in nation, lauded for solar growth