A San Jos\u00e9-based tech company that sells roof shingles with built-in solar panels is the latest to announce plans to leave the Golden State for Texas. <\/p>\n
GAF Energy will relocate its headquarters to Georgetown, Texas, on Dec. 13, the company announced in a notification document<\/a> filed with state officials. The company said its decision was motivated by better market opportunities in Texas, rather than an unfavorable business environment in California.<\/p>\n The company will lay off 138 California-based employees, including technicians, engineers and managers. <\/p>\n The San Jos\u00e9 headquarters, which is currently used for research, development and solar panel manufacturing, was opened in 2021. Both in-person and remote employees will be affected by its closure, the notice said. <\/p>\n Required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN, the notice must be issued by a company 60 days before a mass layoff.<\/p>\n GAF Energy, which is owned by Standard Industries, opened a manufacturing facility in Texas last year. The company plans to consolidate its operations at a new headquarters in the state, President Martin DeBono said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn light of ongoing changes in the solar industry, we are aligning our business and our team to focus on key markets where solar is most compelling for builders and homeowners,\u201d a company spokesperson said in a statement. \u201cThis decision was not taken lightly. We are grateful to our employees in San Jose for their contributions to the business and are committed to assisting those impacted through this transition.\u201d<\/p>\n GAF Energy advertises a more practical approach to rooftop solar energy by embedding solar panels directly into shingles, rather than installing them on top of a roof. <\/p>\n The consolidation to a Texas headquarters will help the company \u201cdrive efficiencies, foster stronger collaboration and partnership amongst teams, and better serve customers,\u201d the spokesperson said. <\/p>\n Though Silicon Valley is known as a premier tech hub and incubator for young companies, many firms have left the state in recent years, complaining of strict regulations, high taxes and costly labor. <\/p>\n Tesla moved its headquarters out of Palo Alto<\/a> in 2021, the same year that financial services firm Charles Schwab relocated from San Francisco to North Texas. Elon Musk moved the head offices of his other companies \u2014 SpaceX and X <\/a>\u2014 to Texas last year, as did Chevron, the oil giant that was started in California<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bed Bath & Beyond\u2019s chief executive Marcus Lemonis recently took aim at California and announced that the company would not reopen stores in the state, writing on X<\/a> that \u201cCalifornia has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n