GAFFNEY, S.C. — Glenstar Logistics has signed First Solar to a 1.3 million-square-foot lease at Cherokee Commerce Center 85 (CCC-85), a 290-acre industrial development in Gaffney.
First Solar will invest $330 million to expand CCC-85’s Building 2 from a 550,520-square-foot, cross-dock facility into a 3.7-gigawatt manufacturing plant spanning 1.3 million square feet. First Solar will use the facility to transform thin-film solar cells produced by First Solar’s international fleet into fully assembled modules.
The plant is expected to create more than 600 jobs and begin operations in second-half 2026. The facility is located at 121 Logistics Drive, which sits about equidistant between Charlotte and Greenville along I-85 in Cherokee County. First Solar, which is the largest solar panel manufacturer in the country, operates a distribution center in nearby Duncan, S.C.
Michael White of Savills and Nate Zoucha of CBRE represented First Solar in the lease transaction. John Montgomery, Garrett Scott, Dillon Swayngim and Brockton Hall of Colliers’ Spartanburg office represented the landlord.
The design-build team for the expansion includes Evans General Contractors, Ware Malcomb and SeamonWhiteside. Glenstar, along with capital partner Creek Lane Capital, delivered Building 2 at CCC-85 in January.