Meeting The Need - Jason Jackson
Hakai Energy Solutions is the largest solar energy company in BC. But it wasn’t always that way. When Jason Jackson started Hakai some 10+ years ago the garage of his home the Village of Cumberland was the warehouse and head office. As demand for renewable energies grew so did Hakai. Moving from the home garage they leapfrogged from one temporary situation to another, all of them in the Village of Cumberland.
As one of the first renewable energy companies in BC, Hakai grew to meet the demand. “I had one job posting that got 800 resumes,” explains Jackson. “There were about 30 from the Comox Valley and the rest were from all over the place including some from India, the US and Asia.”
Jason has chosen to keep Hakai here because of its central location and the lifestyle it offered him, his family and his 25+ employees many of whom live here too.
It’s a familiar story in Cumberland. Many businesses have a really strong foothold in the community. They’re offering local jobs, attracting people from all over to move here which continues to expand our business community.
“We need a light industrial hub in Cumberland - a place where these businesses can thrive and support each other. I think there’s a giant opportunity here, it’s a natural fit for the community and the types of business growth we’re seeing in the Valley. That’s why the Bevan development is so important, it goes a long way to meet that need.”