Soli Organic hires former Tesla exec

Rockingham County-based Soli Organic Inc. has hired former Tesla executive Jeff Jackson as its chief infrastructure officer, the indoor farming company announced Friday.

Jackson was the director of infrastructure for Tesla, which manufactures electric vehicles. At Soli Organic, he will support the strategic development of the company’s new facilities and infrastructure. He will lead building, geographic expansion, clean and low-carbon energy sourcing, scaled design and facility innovation, according to a news release.

Soli Organic recently closed a $125 million Series D funding round. In 2021, it broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot facility in South Carolina and in February 2022 announced plans to build a 130,000-square-foot, soil-based, controlled environment agriculture farm in Washington state.

“We are committed to flipping the paradigm that organic must be more expensive. Our indoor farms provide sure supply of fresh, nearby, sustainably grown produce and our technology allows us to provide the quality organic produce consumers want at prices they can afford. Demand in key markets is high and we are gaining leadership as we rise to meet it with expanded facilities in strategic locations,” CEO Matt Ryan said in a statement. “Jeff will further accelerate our efforts in this next phase of growth, drawing on decades of experience with global brands well-known for fast growth and world-changing technology to drive the evolution of industries.”

Jackson has more than 20 years of experience in operations, engineering and construction. He spent more than seven years at Tesla and has held leadership roles in operations and facilities at Samsung Austin Semiconductor. He will be based on the West Coast, but plans to regularly travel to Soli Organic’s Virginia headquarters.

Soli sells a variety of lettuces, herbs, purées and potted herbs at 20,000 retail stores nationwide and operates several facilities around the country.