Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a rare appearance in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 8, stopping at REC Solar to herald the company’s announcement that it will add 200 jobs this year, a 40 percent boost in its workforce.


Schwarzenegger, state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, and other leaders shared REC Solar’s success story as Chief Executive Officer Angiolo Laviziano described his company’s fast-growth track. The company designs and installs solar energy systems for residential users and businesses.

“If you buy Mission tortilla chips or shop at Costco, you are buying from a company that uses our installations,” Laviziano said.

Schwarzenegger’s visit is part of a statewide jobs tour designed to promote a package of incentives for job creation and green technology. He and Maldonado, whose appointment as lieutenant governor has been held up in Sacramento, used the event to prod the Democratic Party leadership in the state legislature to enact the governor’s proposals.

Multimedia: Listen to audio from the governor’s visit to REC solar.

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