Mountain View Solar wins business award
Mike and Pete McKechnie, owners of Mountain View Solar of Morgan County, have been honored by the Small Business Association (SBA) with the 2012 West Virginia Entrepreneurial Success Award.
They received the award at the “Teaming to Win” conference in Morgantown on May 30.
A reception and celebration for Mike and Pete McKechnie and Mountain View Solar was hosted by the Morgan County Economic Development Authority (EDA) at the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon, June 5.
Among those present were representatives from the West Virginia Small Business Association (SBA) in Clarksburg, and of U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller, Joe Manchin and Congresswoman Shelley Capito, as well as members of the Economic
Development Authority and county commission.
Karen Friel and Rick Haney of the SBA explained the awards are given out in each state to celebrate National Small Business Week.
Growing business
MTV Solar now employs 20 people. Many of the employees were unable to attend the reception because of a large solar panel installation at Mountain Lion Transit Authority in Morgantown.
“The Mountain Lion solar array will be the second largest in the state with 572 solar panels generating 140 kilowatts of power. That is about six times larger than the installation we have here on the roof of the courthouse,” Pete McKechnie said.
MTV Solar has installed 80 electric vehicle charging stations, mostly in the Eastern Panhandle.
“Collectively we have over 40,000 miles on our three electric vehicles and all of those miles are solar miles,” said Mike McKechnie.
Beth Curtin, representing the EDA, began a round of speeches and presentations by naming MTV Solar “the number one solar installer in West Virginia.”
“We all are just glad to have you as part of our community,” said Morgan County Commission president Dugan said.
“The team we’ve got is the real story of our success. We have a great team and we are growing,” Mike McKechnie said.
He talked about the company’s policy to buy and install American-made products. “We made a very dedicated and targeted approach to buy American,” he said.
Colin Williams of MTV Solar said, “This has been the most exciting endeavor of my life. I believe we can show the rest of the country how to face these energy issues.”
