MT. IRON- Heliene USA laid off 93 employees from its Mountain Iron location last week.
The laid-off workers’ last day was Wednesday, Aug. 5, although they will continue to be paid through Oct. 4, according to a statement released by the company.
This is the second round of layoffs to hit the plant this year, after around 40 employees were let go in April.
According to a statement from the company, “The plant will remain open with a reduced workforce that is more aligned to current customer demand and business needs.”
The Mt. Iron facility now has approximately 182 active employees. None of the affected employees were represented by a union.
Recent developments at the federal level have created a turbulent environment for solar manufacturers. In 2025, after President Trump implemented a round of tariffs, Heliene announced that it may have to sell panels at a loss. The company was able to weather the tariffs, turning to an expanding solar supply chain within the U.S.
Just last year, Heliene expanded its U.S. footprint with a 500-megawatt module assembly plant in Rogers, Minn.
Heliene said the recent layoffs were the result of “unforeseen business circumstances” and did not respond to requests for further comment.
Some local politicians pointed the finger at Washington, blaming the layoffs on several federal changes. Grant Hauschild said in a statement that providing state incentives for businesses and cutting red tape can help the local economy, but those efforts are a drop in the bucket compared to the economic damage being done by the federal government.
“Whether it is haphazard tariffs, attacks on clean energy investments like this plant, or a ridiculous war in Iran costing us billions and raising energy prices for residents and businesses…we can’t afford any more of this,” Hauschild said.
Trina Swanson used the layoffs to attack her political opponent in the Eighth Congressional District race, Pete Stauber, writing on Facebook, “Pete Stauber voted for Donald Trump’s H.R. 1, legislation that accelerated the elimination of major federal tax incentives supporting new solar projects.”
Cal Warwas called the recent layoffs “devastating” and said that he was committed to helping “connect affected workers with available resources, including unemployment assistance, job training, and educational opportunities.”
Warwas acknowledged that the layoffs were a blow to ongoing attempts to diversify northern Minnesota’s economy.
“Our mineral wealth continues to be the backbone of economic activity in heavy industry, and the taxes it pays gives our region opportunities to seek additional employers via new or increased development,” Warwas said. “Through opportunities we are working on at Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR), I remain hopeful we will continue to diversify our regional economy.”