Amonix CEO killed in plane crash in Pennsylvania

Brian Robertson, CEO of Amonix, Inc.

Brian Robertson, CEO of Amonix, Inc.

Amonix Inc., which has a North Las Vegas solar array manufacturing plant, on Friday said its CEO was killed in a plane crash in Pennsylvania on Thursday.

The York Dispatch newspaper in Pennsylvania reported that Brian Robertson, 38, was the lone occupant of a twin-engine plane that crashed in a field.

A flight plan indicated Robertson was flying from Long Beach, Calif., to York, Pa., near the crash site.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

An Amonix spokesman said Robertson was flying to Pennsylvania to visit family for the holidays when he was killed.

"We are devastated by this tragic accident. Brian was an incredible leader and our heart goes out to his family," Vahan Garboushian, founder and chairman of the board of Seal Beach, Calif.-based Amonix, said in a statement.

Robertson, a longtime executive in the solar industry, is survived by his wife and three children. A company biography noted he was an avid pilot.

In May, Robertson was joined by Gov. Brian Sandoval and other dignitaries in opening the company’s North Las Vegas plant, a joint venture with Singapore company Flextronics that brought more than 300 jobs to the city.

"I am saddened to hear of the tragic plane crash involving Brian Robertson, CEO of Amonix," U.S. Sen. Harry Reid said in a statement. "He and his company have been great for Nevada by investing in solar energy, most recently opening a solar plant in North Las Vegas. My thoughts are with his family and his colleagues at Amonix during this difficult time."

Robertson joined Amonix in late 2009 through its acquisition of Sunworks Solar LLC, where he was co-founder and CEO. Earlier, he co-founded Sun Edison LLC, which Amonix says is North America’s largest solar energy services provider.

He was a co-founder of several other firms in various industries before that.

Robertson graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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