John Beaver, CFO of Highland Materials, brings a unique perspective to solar manufacturing after living through two distinct cleantech eras. Following 25 years in the chemical industry, Beaver first entered solar in 2009 as CFO of Silicor Materials, scaling from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving metallurgical-grade silicon could produce high-quality solar cells. "We ended up making 20 million solar cells. Really proved out the concept that we could use a metallurgical grade silicon versus electronic grade silicon to make high-quality solar cells," Beaver explains. After weathering policy headwinds and Chinese oversupply that shuttered their plans, Beaver spent years in dental lasers before returning to solar silicon at Highland Materials. Now he believes the tipping point has arrived. The big question: Can domestic manufacturing finally compete with China's 95% market control?

John Beaver serves as Chief Financial Officer of Highland Materials, and has over 40 years of finance expertise across a variety of industries. After starting his career at Fortune 50 company Monsanto, Beaver spent decades in the chemical industry before making his first foray into cleantech as the inaugural CFO of Silicor Materials in 2009. There, he helped scale the company from 40 to 450 employees in 18 months while proving that metallurgical-grade silicon could produce solar cells indistinguishable from traditional electronic-grade silicon. Following a detour as CEO of dental laser company Biolase, Beaver returned to solar silicon manufacturing with Highland Materials, where he's working to establish domestic polysilicon production in Tennessee using zero-waste technology that cuts emissions by 90% while recycling industry waste into valuable raw materials.

In This Episode:

(00:00) John Beaver’s cleantech journey

(04:25) Chemical industry background and transition to Silicor Materials

(08:04) China tariff wars and Silicor challenges

(11:00) Highland Materials return and current market opportunity

(17:08) Zero-waste manufacturing and product diversification

Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions!

About the show: 

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. 

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.

Resources:
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-beaver-a086561b/

Highland Materials website: https://highlandmaterials.com/

Antenna Group

Keith Zakheim LinkedIn