Eb Russell Archives

Ampacity Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Event to Celebrate Operations at its 300,000-Square-Foot Distribution Center in Des Moines, Iowa

Posted on November 19, 2025February 11, 2026 by Bri Bruce

The distribution center, built and operated by Ampacity, will support power infrastructure projects in Iowa, the Midwest, and nationwide.

Des Moines, Iowa – [November 19, 2025] – Ampacity LLC hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to celebrate the opening of the company’s 300,000-square-foot distribution facility in Des Moines, Iowa. The new warehouse represents Ampacity’s commitment to serving the construction firms, developers, and utilities building solar, wind, battery storage, and data center infrastructure projects throughout Iowa and the Midwest.

The ribbon-cutting event was attended by legislators, local business owners, and community members to celebrate the collaborative efforts to bring the distribution center into operation. Speakers included David Young, Chair, Iowa House Commerce Committee; Eben Russell, President at Ampacity; Jimmy Olsen, Executive Director at the Des Moines City Chamber of Commerce; Crosby Fish, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Ampacity; and Jason Holsman, Government Affairs Director at the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). Ampacity’s CFO Crosby Fish served as the Master of Ceremonies.

David Young, Chair, Iowa House Commerce Committee, and Eben Russell, President, Ampacity

“We were specifically drawn to the Des Moines area by the local talent pool—there is a lot of expertise in the supply chain and logistics fields here. In addition, Des Moines provides multiple strategic advantages, such as proximity to our customers’ projects and positioning on major freight lanes,” commented Eben Russell, President of Ampacity. “Our goal is to build a team in Iowa that cares about the impact we’re making and is committed to meeting power demand as quickly and reliably as possible.”

Throughout the event, Ampacity emphasized the local economic stimulation the facility will provide to the Des Moines region. Ampacity has invested nearly $2 million in the warehouse and will employ 25 long-term employees. During operations, the distribution center will contribute around $1 million annually to the Des Moines community through payroll, tax payments, and other local expenditures.

The new Des Moines facility functions as an operational hub carrying out the stocking, fulfillment, logistics, kitting and prefabrication, and material storage functions that keep large, complex renewables projects running smoothly. The distribution center will support and promote further deployment in the region by providing essential support to nearby power generation and data center projects.

“Power demand from data centers and other sources is driving the renewables and battery storage sector at a record rate. Electricity demand in Iowa alone is expected to increase by 30 to 60 percent in the next two decades. Agility is more important than ever, and Ampacity’s distribution center provides rapid and flexible solutions for the Midwest,” Crosby Fish, CFO of Ampacity said. “We provide key materials and logistics to community solar and utility-scale projects alike—all of which are vital to meeting America’s growing energy needs.”

Expanded Electrical Solutions
In addition to expanded handling and distribution capacity for Ampacity’s longstanding single-axis solar tracker business line, the Des Moines site houses the company’s largest-ever investments in handling and processing machinery for electrical goods. The warehouse features a three-to-one wire spooling line that simplifies cable installation by combining multiple reels into a single run. The team at the facility also performs custom cutting of medium-voltage cables and assembles modular kits that are pre-configured for specific phases of construction. These activities help reduce manual labor, limit installation errors, and enable customers to keep their projects moving with greater consistency and efficiency.

“Electricity demand in Iowa is rising fast, and meeting that challenge will require more local generation and more flexible distributed energy resources,” said Jason Holsman, Director of Government Affairs at the Coalition for Community Solar Access. “As lawmakers consider creating a statewide community solar program in Iowa, facilities like Ampacity’s new distribution center show what’s possible when the private sector has the tools it needs to deliver projects efficiently. A stronger local supply chain means faster deployment, lower construction costs, and more reliable clean energy options for Iowa communities. This is exactly the type of investment that can help community solar take root and thrive in the state.”

Read our article in Iowa’s Business Record: “Ampacity hosts ribbon-cutting for new Des Moines distribution center”

About Ampacity
Ampacity delivers a forward-thinking approach to structural and electrical solutions for clean energy transition projects—and the ability to orchestrate the full process from engineering to kitting to installation. Comprising more than 350 passionate professionals who specialize in simplifying and accelerating clean energy deployment across North America, Ampacity is committed to providing comprehensive solutions that ensure project deadlines are met. Since 2014, Ampacity has delivered nearly eight gigawatts of fully engineered clean energy systems. Learn more at www.ampacity.com.

Ampacity Opens 300,000-Square-Foot Distribution Center in Des Moines, Iowa to Support Power Infrastructure Projects Nationwide

Posted on September 30, 2025February 11, 2026 by Bri Bruce

Des Moines, Iowa – [September 30, 2025] – Ampacity LLC today announced that its new 300,000-square-foot distribution facility in Des Moines, Iowa, is fully operational. The new warehouse represents Ampacity’s commitment to serving the construction firms, developers, and utilities building solar, wind, battery storage, and data center infrastructure projects across the United States.

The new Des Moines facility functions as an operational hub carrying out the stocking, fulfillment, logistics, kitting and prefabrication, and material storage functions that keep large, complex projects running smoothly. The facility is a significant step in Ampacity’s growth and diversification plan, as Eben Russell, Founder and President of Ampacity, explains. “It’s only been two years since we opened our Kentucky warehouse, and that facility is now running at full capacity. The industry is asking for more from us, and this new distribution center is a key part of our response. Des Moines checked all the boxes: proximity to our customers’ projects, position on major freight lanes, and—always most important for us—a great pool of talent that we can draw from as we grow our team. We are actively adding new products and supply chain services to the Ampacity solution set. The Des Moines facility is at the heart of those efforts.”

Expanded electrical solutions

In addition to expanded handling and distribution capacity for Ampacity’s longstanding single-axis solar tracker business line, the Des Moines site houses the company’s largest-ever investments in handling and processing machinery for electrical goods. The warehouse features a three-to-one wire spooling line that simplifies cable installation by combining multiple reels into a single run. The team at the facility also performs custom cutting of medium-voltage cables and assembles modular kits that are pre-configured for specific phases of construction. These activities help reduce manual labor, limit installation errors, and enable customers to keep their projects moving with greater consistency and efficiency.

“Our name, Ampacity, speaks directly to the electrical side of our distribution business. This facility is where action is,” says Crosby Fish, CFO of Ampacity. “The power sector is moving at unprecedented speed, driven by rising power demands from data centers and the continued buildout of renewables and battery storage. With Des Moines, we’re delivering answers, investing in machinery, kitting and prefabrication solutions, inventory, and—at the root of it all—building a team that can move at the pace our customers need.”

“We’ve gotten this facility off the ground fast. In this market, time is of the essence, and we’re already stocked with the wire and cable, termination kits, sectionalizing cabinets, and single-axis tracker material that our customers need to keep moving,” says Jeremy Haugen, Ampacity’s Director of Operations in Des Moines. “At this point, our focus is on scaling up the prefabrication and kitting work that we perform in the warehouse. Ampacity has a tradition of trusting people with years of experience in the field to create better ways of delivering goods. We’re bringing that spirit to Des Moines.”

About Ampacity
Ampacity delivers a forward-thinking approach to structural and electrical solutions for clean energy transition projects—and the ability to orchestrate the full process from engineering to kitting to installation. Comprising more than 350 passionate professionals who specialize in simplifying and accelerating clean energy deployment across North America, Ampacity is committed to providing comprehensive solutions that ensure project deadlines are met. Since 2014, Ampacity has delivered more than seven gigawatts of fully engineered clean energy systems. Learn more at www.ampacity.com.

Solar Hall of Fame Series: Interview with RPCS CEO Eben Russell

Posted on March 17, 2021November 17, 2023 by Bri Bruce

Solar Hall of Fame Series

How RPCS CEO Eben Russell is Adapting to the COVID Pandemic

SolarFeeds Magazine

RP Construction Services CEO Eben Russell sat down with SolarFeeds Magazine as part of their Solar Hall of Fame series for an interview about how RPCS is fairing during the COVID pandemic.

RP Construction Services, Inc. (RPCS) provides turnkey design, structural engineering, procurement/supply, mechanical installation, and specialty services to EPCs, developers, and municipal utilities. As the nation’s leading contractor and single-axis tracker expert, RPCS has completed more than 700 projects, totaling over 2GW, and helps customers meet their renewable energy goals with simple, seamless project execution. Connect with RPCS on LinkedIn or learn more at stgrpcs.wpengine.com.

SF Magazine: First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times?

Eb Russell: Thankfully, we haven’t contracted the virus. We have a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old. It’s toughest on our 4-year-old daughter and on my wife. There’s only so much video conferencing one can do to fill the void. The 1-year-old requires constant attention as he is now walking and grabbing at everything which means my wife needs to play one-on-one defense while our 4-year-old, without the outlet of pre-school, continuously tries to reassert her original title as “one and only.”

Days are long and hectic. I made an office out of the company Ford Transit in the driveway.

SF Magazine: Tell us about you, your career, how you founded or joined this company

Russell: My first career, straight out of college, was as a financial advisor. It was 1995 and the World Wide Web was moving from a concept to mainstream. There were lots of high-flying start-ups. It was a transformative time; horses and buggies moving to automobiles.

History told us 2,000 car companies failed, 6 survived but they all bought tires from Goodyear Tire and rubber and tools from Ingersoll Rand. I had my clients avoid DoubleClick, AltaVista, Lycos and, instead, own the equipment makers Cisco, Juniper, Corning, Broadcom.

Entering solar in 2003, most startups were focused on residential installations, modules, inverters, development, and EPC. I looked for something boring, the solar mounting system, and decided single-axis trackers offered the most amount of metal or MWs per sale and there was no clear market leader.

In 2008, Array Technologies had 9 people and the iPhone. It was night and day, a better product. It still is. Over the next 6 years, I sold 2,500MWS into a 3,000MW total addressable market.

In 2015, market research showed that 1,000 projects would be built between 1MWand 10MW over the next 4 years, but it was clear that to capture meaningful market share, this market segment would need a turnkey provider: DIRECTV versus satellite dishes. RPCS was formed and we provided the DIRECTV-style offering to the sub 10MW market. It worked out. We managed to grab over 700 of the 1,000 projects.

SF Magazine: How does your company innovate?

Russell: We hire people, not positions. Great people continuously find new and innovative ways to optimize and improve.

SF Magazine: How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

Russell: Thankfully, solar has remained strong. It’s fortunate that our projects are outdoors where safe, social distancing is relatively easy to maintain and our crew has taken the virus seriously, making sure to travel in pods and follow all CDC guidelines.

SF Magazine: Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources and what are the lessons learned?

Russell: The inside staff moved to virtual and we quickly mandated that all calls be video calls to maintain community and connectivity. We gave the field crew time and pay to travel to sites by car to avoid airline travel.

COVID has been hard on all. From a work performance perspective, it seems most impactful to those with young kids who are now at home helping assist in virtual learning versus dropping the kids off and going to work all day. We have tried to acknowledge this reality. We see emails and team chats flowing through at all hours of the day and even weekends and don’t worry about voids in work or availability during the weekday school hours.

SF Magazine: How did your customer relationship management evolve?

Russell: It’s better. Everything is on video now and personal lives are exposed. Dogs are barking, kids are interrupting, and we laugh at the predicaments we are in. No one is worried about neckties and polished shoes.

SF Magazine: Do you use any specific tools to be efficient?

Russell: Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

SF Magazine: Did you benefit from any government grants or any business adaptation that help keep your business afloat?

Russell: A year ago, at the onset of the pandemic, no one knew what would happen to the global or US economy, so we secured a PPP loan. Thankfully, we haven’t had to rely on the loan to survive, but it’s been nice knowing the funds are there just in case.

SF Magazine: How would you predict the solar outlook of the post-COVID era in your country?

Russell: US solar is rolling. It’s now the lowest cost of energy, the easiest to deploy, the least variable as far as future cost fluctuations, and able to be installed at or near the demand. The future (pun intended) is bright for solar.

SF Magazine: What do you think your government can do more to accelerate Solar’s adoption?

Russell: The industry has done well to secure incentives, manage through the tariffs, and remove regulatory hurdles. Upgrading and modernizing the nation’s grid to handle and manage all the new generation is critical. Incentives that support this grid transformation are essential.

SF Magazine: Your final thoughts?

Russell: The industry has such good energy. We see our competitors more as collaborators, working alongside us to push the adoption of clean solar energy forward. #ComeBuildWithUs

See the original post here: https://mag.solarfeeds.com/how-eb-russell-is-adapting-to-the-covid-pandemic/

RPCS Welcomes Sean Du Fosee as Director of Training and Development

Posted on December 26, 2019November 20, 2023 by Bri Bruce

RP Construction Services, Inc. (RPCS) introduced Sean Du Fosee as the company’s new Director of Training and Development this week.

Du Fosee joins RPCS as a third-generation contractor and entrepreneur with an extensive background in creating businesses and building projects. With over 12 years of experience in solar, specializing in the development and sales of PV mounting structures, Du Fosee has worked around the world in many different roles, including operations, business development, sales, product development, engineering and accounting, and has worked previously with RPCS on various projects over the years.

Prior to joining RPCS, Du Fosee owned PVHCON, Inc., a solar construction services firm, where he directed and implemented practical solutions for foundation installation, general construction, testing, and O&M for single axis tracker projects, among other endeavors. His previous positions include Technical Director at solar tracking manufacturer Arctech Solar, and co-founder of PV Hardware (PVH), a leading provider of solar PV tracking solutions for utility-scale plants worldwide.

Du Fosee will spearhead RPCS’s training and development efforts in 2020, helping to provide improvements in team member proficiency, project and installation quality, and project profitability.

“When Eb Russell approached me about helping RPCS become a world-class quality contractor, how could I say no?” says Du Fosee. “I’ve wanted to work with RPCS for a long time, and I’m looking forward to being part of the team.”

In 2020, RPCS expects training to be a significant contributing factor to their growth as a company and their expansion into larger markets. Training and development efforts will be key in further growing RPCS’s workforce, allowing the solar project design and construction company to complete even more projects, in more regions of the US, with the highest efficiency and quality.

RP Construction Services, Inc. designs and builds ground mount solar projects. With over 360 projects and more than 1GW completed or under construction throughout the United States, RPCS provides full turnkey service and support for solar tracker projects, including site layout optimization, ancillary engineering services, tracker supply, foundation post procurement, and complete mechanical installation. For more information about RPCS, please visit rpcs.com or call us at 831.620.2188.

Looking Back at InterSolar North America 2018

Posted on July 20, 2018November 20, 2023 by Bri Bruce

Front and center in the third floor lobby of the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif.

This year’s InterSolar North America trade show, which was the 11th InterSolar North America exhibition, saw both new and industry leading innovators and their products and services, and a myriad of key solar and storage players. There were many exciting and engaging conversations happening at the Array Technologies’ booth, which dominated the third floor exhibit hall lobby at the Moscone Center in the heart of San Francisco.

As Array’s trusted partner, RPCS showed their support in the booth, where there was an in-depth demo of the DuraTrack HZ v3 solar tracker, topped with both bifacial modules and First Solar Series 6 modules. RPCS shared their year’s many successes, including reaching a recent milestone: 225 projects and 450MW completed.

Reflecting on the show, RPCS founder and president, Eb Russell, comments, “For us, this year’s InterSolar wasn’t closed door meetings about braggawatts, but more of a support group session with friends, colleagues, and competitors sharing openly about the challenging past several months—and a sigh of relief about the recent return to normalcy.” He continues, “We left reinvigorated because of the amazing individuals that make up our industry and that share the vision of a clean, solar energy future for our planet. Thanks everyone for all the good chats and cheer!”

We’re already looking forward to next year’s InterSolar show, and RPCS’s growth.

The Plug-N-Play Solar Tracker

The Array Technologies booth was abuzz with visitors and engaging conversations.

On Tuesday at the start of the show, RPCS announced their new partnership with solar balance of systems leader Shoals Technologies and CAB Solar, launching their latest turnkey solution offering, the Plug-N-Play Solar Tracker system. This union will bring an even more streamlined approach to RPCS’s solar tracker installations, providing custom designed wiring solutions for projects using the Array Technologies, Inc., DuraTrack™ HZ V3 solar tracker.

“We had a great showing at Intersolar this year; 2018 has been another great year for RPCS and our Array and Shoals partnership announcement makes our offer to the DG market so much stronger,” says RPCS Chief Sales Officer, Alex Smith. “We’re really proud of the number of projects we’ve done the past couple years, but also know that the real work is ahead of us. It’s also really fun to see our RPCS team growing and interacting with all of our customers and partners during the show.”

Together, RPCS, Shoals, and CAB provide customers the next evolution in solar tracker systems, providing simpler installations and making solar energy a more affordable, lower risk source of clean power for future generations.

For more information on the Plug-N-Play Tracker, visit https://www.ampacity.com/plug-n-play-solar-tracker.