Spanish Firm Locates in ABQ
P4Q Makes Solar Tracking Devices
A Spain-based supplier of solar tracking controllers and other electronic devices is locating its North American headquarters and a production facility in Albuquerque.
P4Q USA Inc. plans to move into a 9,000-square-foot building at 5901 Office Park NE near Singer and Jefferson this fall, initially creating 15 jobs, P4Q USA Executive Director Michael Orshan told the Journal.
It will feature a state-of-theart surface-mount technology assembly line to make products for both P4Q USA and components for clients on a contract basis.
“It is going to take at least a month to get everything ready to go,” he said, estimating the facility could be operational by late October or early November.
Orshan said P4Q is the world’s largest supplier of solar tracking controllers, with major clients in Europe, Asia and South and North America. Its first product, created in 2007, is Suntrack, a computer component used in solar tracking devices to follow the sun to create more energy.
The Albuquerque facility will also make P4Q’s latest product, Light Track, a lightcontrol module for dimming street lamps to save energy.
The company’s majority owner is P4Q Electronics of Bilbao, Spain, which was created in 2002 to support wireless communications devices, headlights for car manufacturers and various controllers for the train industry. “For passenger trains, our controllers open and close doors, do entertainment systems, emergency issues, heat, those sorts of things,” Orshan said.
The company set up a sales office in January 2010 in Santa Fe. Originally from New Jersey, Orshan said he has lived in New Mexico for 10 years and served as director of science and technology under the state Economic Development Department from 2003 to 2006.
Orshan said he expects P4Q USA to seek assistance from the state’s Jobs Training Incentive Program.
He said Albuquerque was an appealing location because of its electronics workforce, solar experience, access to transportation, bilingual population and business environment.
The company plans a grand opening event next month that will be open to the public.