April 8, 2026 – It’s in the name.
Create Energy, a manufacturer of renewable energy equipment based just 40 miles north of downtown Nashville in Portland, is doing just that — creating energy — with the announcement of its plans to invest in a new 338,000-square-foot facility in the nearby neighborhood of Orlinda.
The $78 million investment — into a facility which will become its new primary manufacturing hub — sparks plenty of enthusiasm in the northern suburbs, and the addition of more than 1,000 new jobs creates an energetic workforce as the company moves into its new home.
The company, which was founded in 2023 by Dean Solon, will eclipse 475,000 square feet by the time its new facility is complete and its current facility is transformed into a welcome center and a hub for research and development.
“I’ve been in Tennessee for over 30 years, and this place isn’t just where I work and build businesses, it’s home,” Solon said in a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “I’m proud of what we’re cranking out here at Create Energy: real growth, real jobs and the newest, coolest energy products the world wants.”
The expansion of Create Energy follows last winter’s $6.6 billion investment into Clarksville by Korea Zinc — the largest economic investment in state history — and adds to the increasing total of jobs arriving in Middle Tennessee, notably Oracle and Amazon pledging 8,500 and 5,000, respectively, in the coming years.
“We have a wave of major initiatives underway, and with our active presence in the mergers and acquisitions market, there’s much more on the horizon,” Solon added. “We’re moving fast, and we’re here to shake things up with solutions that are truly best in class.”
The Stars applaud Create Energy’s confidence in Middle Tennessee and its decision to expand in the area – an attitude that we look forward to adopting with Major League Baseball (MLB) in Music City.