The biggest development changing Portland, TN is the new 638,000-square-foot Shoals Technologies Group manufacturing campus at 1500 Shoals Way. It opened with a ribbon-cutting on May 18, 2026. The solar and energy-infrastructure company (NASDAQ: SHLS), headquartered in Portland, combined three existing Tennessee facilities into one central 'mega facility.' It made a $30 million initial investment and committed up to $80 million over five years. In its August 2026 earnings release, Shoals reported that it had completed the move into the new facility and was working to raise productivity there.
MARQUEE PROJECT - SHOALS TECHNOLOGIES MEGA-CAMPUS: The largest project physically in Portland (Sumner County) is the new Shoals Technologies Group manufacturing campus. Shoals is headquartered in Portland and is the city's anchor public company (NASDAQ: SHLS), so this project both expands and consolidates its hometown footprint.
SIZE & ADDRESS: A 638,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing campus at 1500 Shoals Way, Portland, TN, on the Sumner County side of the city. It brings the company's three existing Tennessee facilities together in one location.
INVESTMENT: A $30 million initial investment, with a total commitment of up to $80 million over five years, according to the company's announcement and the May 2026 opening release.
JOBS: Coverage of the expansion reports roughly 550 new jobs over five years. In its second-quarter 2026 results (released August 4, 2026), Shoals said it had completed the move into the new facility and was making steady progress toward improving productivity. It also said gross margin declined year over year in part because of the ramp-up and transition into the new plant.
TIMELINE & STATUS: The grand-opening ribbon-cutting was held May 18, 2026, and the public announcement followed on May 19, 2026. The event also marked the company's 30th anniversary. Status: OPEN, with the move-in complete as of August 2026 and production ramping up.
WHAT IT MAKES: Electrical 'balance of systems' (EBOS) and critical power infrastructure for utility-scale solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and data-center power, which are Shoals' core product lines.
Create Energy's expansion, announced in 2026, is larger and is often linked to 'Portland.' However, most of that investment and most of the jobs are at a facility in Orlinda, in ROBERTSON County, not in Portland or Sumner County. For Portland in Sumner County, Shoals is the main project.
RESIDENTIAL & INFRASTRUCTURE CONTEXT: Portland's new-construction growth continues alongside the growing job base, and the Planning Commission is processing new single-family subdivisions. TDOT began construction in November 2025 on Phase 1 of the State Route 109 Portland Bypass. That phase is a 3.9-mile northern section awarded to Scotty's Contracting & Stone for $88.9 million and is scheduled for completion in spring 2028. Phase 2, the southern portion, is in right-of-way acquisition, with construction expected to begin in fiscal year 2028.
The $30M figure is the 'initial investment' named in the May 2026 opening release. The broader commitment is described as up to $80M over five years. The job figure (~550) comes from coverage of the expansion and may be revised as the facility ramps up.
- Marquee project
- Shoals Technologies Group manufacturing mega-campus
- Developer / company
- Shoals Technologies Group (NASDAQ: SHLS), headquartered in Portland
- Location
- 1500 Shoals Way, Portland, TN (Sumner County)
- Investment
- $30M initial; up to $80M over five years
- Size
- 638,000 sq ft (consolidates 3 TN facilities)
- Jobs
- ~550 new jobs (over five years)
- Status / timeline
- Ribbon-cutting May 18, 2026; move-in completed per Aug 4, 2026 earnings release; productivity ramp ongoing
- Product
- Solar EBOS, battery energy storage (BESS), data-center power infrastructure
- Related infrastructure
- SR 109 Portland Bypass Phase 1 (3.9 mi, $88.9M) under construction, completion expected spring 2028
- Honesty caveat
- Most of Create Energy's larger expansion is in Orlinda, ROBERTSON County, not Portland or Sumner County