A Unirac employee inspects L-feet that have just come from a press.
Unirac was founded on Sept. 1, 1998, and incorporated a year later. But its origins go back almost two decades before formal incorporation. Unirac’s co-founder, John Liebendorfer, had been involved with promoting solar energy since the late ’70s, first with nonprofit groups such as the New Mexico Solar Energy Association.
In 1983, Liebendorfer worked as a licensed mechanical contractor and formed Energy Management Systems (EMS), installing solar water and space heating systems in the Albuquerque area.
At that time, equipment typically was attached to roofs with components provided by each manufacturer. The challenge of the day was to make the specific mounting components fit any roof situation. Liebendorfer had to modify components for a majority of installations. Under these conditions, he learned to appreciate components that were flexible and adaptable on the job, knowledge that later influenced Unirac designs.
In 1998, Liebendorfer briefly worked for another mounting manufacturer in Albuquerque where all the racks were custom-made for the job. It was an expensive and time-consuming process. Thinking back to his days working on the roof installing solar heating panels, Liebendorfer realized racking had to be more universal so they would fit any PV module. This would allow for mass production and cost savings. He soon started his own business venture.
On Sept. 1, 1998, Liebendorfer set up shop in his garage. Sixty days later, he had his first universal rack products to sell. U-11 and U-22 were pole racks compatible with any module, consisting of three or four interchangeable pieces.
When orders came to Liebendorfer by fax, he would run out to the garage, select the proper pieces to put in the box, drop it off at UPS and fax the shipping confirmation and invoice to the customer—all within a couple of hours. Over the next year, more racking products were developed based on customer feedback.
A year later, the market was growing astronomically, and Liebendorfer took on a full partner, Hal Newman. Newman took over marketing and financial responsibilities and Liebendorfer stayed focused on design and manufacturing.
Shortly thereafter, Y2K was approaching and people were worried about their lights going out. Also at that time, rolling electric blackouts were striking California. These circumstances drove demand for solar and Unirac was ready with the right product, in the right place, at the right time.
In the following years, Liebendorfer came to realize that he was the “inventor,” and he needed someone with the business acumen to take Unirac to the next level. In February 2006, he sold the company to Global Environment Fund, a venture capitalist group. The group used executives from various industries to grow the business, enlarging Unirac 10 times over a four-year period.
Hilti acquired Unirac in 2010. While Unirac had been primarily selling through distribution, Hilti knew more about direct sales. The exchange of knowledge helped Unirac expand into the commercial and utility markets.
Last year, Unirac celebrated its 15-year anniversary of providing PV mounting systems in North America, amassing 2.8 GW of experience since 1998.
In 2015, the company will focus on service and quality, enhancing current product lines and launching new innovations. In addition, Unirac’s online tool, U-Builder, will be getting an overhaul. SPW