A FRESH TAKE: VERTICAL INTEGRATION DRIVES SOLAR VALUE

A conversation between Ashleigh Kent, Director of Marketing, and Terrasmart’s new Chief Sales Officer, Yury Reznikov

With more than 13 years in the solar industry, across rooftop and ground mount applications as well as valuable lessons from positions in investment banking and semiconductors, Yury Reznikov brings new insights to Terrasmart’s sales operations. Ashleigh recently sat down with him to hear his perspectives on the industry and glean his insights on what Terrasmart has to offer.

“What stands out to you about the state of the PV industry today?”

Yury: Solar is still a “wild west” industry with lots of fast-changing dynamics. On one hand we had the damaging effect of tariff wars and on the other a colossal boost through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). We are also seeing new technological advancements in PV components and innovation in construction, all of which boost project efficiency and streamline asset management.

When you peel the onion to a broader energy ecosystem, we see utilities phasing out coal and building or leasing new generation capacity — much of it in renewable energy.

“What lights you up about joining Terrasmart and the Gibraltar family?”

Yury: In combining four legacy solar brands into one unified Terrasmart, our vertical integration puts us in a unique position to develop solutions across the industry. We deploy our advanced capabilities and end-to-end processes at a pace of two new projects each day, priced and executed appropriately.

I’m excited about the value we can create for our customers with an integrated product and service portfolio that meets the needs of a broad market.

• Terrasmart is a known leader in the ground mount division, specifically with their deep knowledge of all terrain types. Going back 13 years, we are one of the original experts in ground screw foundation with proprietary install equipment, which made it a no-brainer to jump on board with this team.
• Our products span the PV lifecycle from project feasibility software to foundations, racking solutions, and electrical BOS products.
• Our services cover a broad spectrum from engineering and design, to surveying and full mechanical installation, with a dedicated project management team to support each phase of a project.

“What is the most valuable lesson that you bring to Terrasmart from your background in the solar industry?”

Yury: I’m fortunate that my career has afforded me a broad array of functional experiences. While I’m in a sales role today, I have led product development and engineering teams and I’ve worked in supply chain as well as in manufacturing. I’ve also served in leadership roles with P&L responsibility, designing strategies and planning for success. I hope to combine all of these experiences to help elevate the team.

“What are your key goals for the sales organization at Terrasmart?”

Yury: We want to focus on places where we offer greater value and can make the project more successful for the customer, such as continuing to complete work ahead of schedule to produce energy faster.

We want to exceed expectations on quality and build projects that will serve for more than 40 years while requiring very little maintenance.

We want to continue to lower risks, to anticipate problems and solve them quickly, and to finetune our solutions to address any issues that do arise.

Terrasmart is all about long-term partnerships to spread out the cost volatility that we see in today’s market. That’s why we are aligned with partners that have 12- to 18-month portfolios that create more value on a greater scale. Long-term planning earlier in a project’s pipeline allows Terrasmart to provide service throughout the lifecycle, creating sizable economies of scale to deliver superior value to these partnerships.

“Culture is very important at Terrasmart. What is your vision for the team?”

Yury: The best teams include people who love coming into work and making things happen. From what I’ve seen, Terrasmart is one of those places. I am thrilled to work with this team to drive these four tenets of our company’s culture:

• Empowerment – Everyone on the team needs a sense of ownership to make decisions that advance the company’s goals and impact the business.
• Accountability – As a results-driven publicly listed company, all of our team members are accountable to each other, to our business, to our customers, and to our stakeholders.
• Transparency – I’m a strong believer in information-sharing that allows people to be open and generous with their knowledge. This supports decision-making for everyone, creating new opportunities to collaborate and foster buy-in. We are in this together.
• Alignment– Transparency allows us to align everyone in the right direction with shared goals and the singular vision that powerful connections create infinite possibilities.

“In your opinion, what are the top pain points in the industry and how can Terrasmart address them?”

Yury: Developers of utility-scale PV are struggling to find land that meets system requirements from the get-go. Are there topographical challenges with undulating slopes? Are there subsurface risks with boulders and rocks? What are the costs associated with remediating these risks, for example grading and refusals?

For developers, Terrasmart offers the best interface to optimize land for profitability. Our Solar Instant Feasibility Tool, SIFT, helps to quickly identify the right design and equipment to ensure their project delivers the highest possible returns. Our diverse foundation and racking portfolio offers something for every site – no matter how steep or rocky – to ensure the best production capacity and yield.

To help EPCs contain costs, manage schedules, and deliver quality builds in today’s supply-constrained environment, Terrasmart offers peace of mind with systems that are:

Ultimately, our customers rely on us to mitigate unforeseen risks, deliver quality systems, and streamline installation. And with our vertical project integration we offer more value.

“Is there something about Terrasmart you wish all of our customers knew?”

Yury: YES! Our teams have a real passion for putting the customer first.

From our president to every member of the organization we all think about how to put the customer first. This razor-sharp focus on customer success drives cross-functional problem solving and enhances Terrasmart’s unique power of end-to-end vertical integration.