JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Solar panel maker Stion says it will hire 23 more employees, bringing its total to 177 at its Hattiesburg plant, as new U.S. tariffs on Chinese solar panels cause an increase in demand for American-made units.

Peter DeGraff, Stion’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, said Stion will expand operations from five days a week to seven and hire a fourth shift of workers. He said the machines that make solar panels in the highly automated factory will run much more often.