Green Jobs in Texas: New Wind Tower Manufacturing Plant
June 9, 2009 –Broadwind Energy, Inc, a leading provider of components, logistics and services to the wind power and broader energy markets, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently at the newly constructed Abilene, Texas tower manufacturing facility of its subsidiary, Tower Tech Systems Inc. The ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorated the beginning of serial production of wind towers at the plant, which began in February 2009, and included an initial run of towers for customers in various Texas locations.
Tower Tech, which currently operates a manufacturing facility in Manitowoc, Wisc. and has been producing wind towers since 2003, worked closely with local economic development officials in Abilene and broke ground on the project in September 2008. The new facility has 146,000 square feet of production space on a 42-acre site, allowing for 20 acres of storage.
Approximately 120 people are currently employed at the facility.
Broadwind CEO J. Cameron Drecoll presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and was joined by the Company’s board of directors, senior management team, local dignitaries, members of the Abilene Industrial Foundation and the Development Corporation of Abilene, as well as members of the local media.
“As part of our expansion strategy, we are pleased to announce production at our newest facility, which we believe is the first of its kind in North America built specifically for large tower manufacturing,” Drecoll said. “We view the opening of this facility as an important step in our overall strategy of producing superior products in innovative facilities that are strategically constructed in close proximity to development sites.”
“Texas is the best state in the country to live and do business because of our reasonable regulatory environment, low taxes and highly skilled workforce, and the emphasis on nurturing emerging industries in our state,” Texas Gov. Rick Perry said. “The Tower Tech facility in Abilene will bring jobs to the area and help expand our state’s growing wind energy sector, and I wish them the best of luck with this new facility.”
Broadwind COO Lars Moller added:
We are excited to showcase our success in constructing and bringing online this state-of-the art greenfield facility. We plan to duplicate the design of the single-flow piece production units that capitalize on lean technologies as we move ahead with the construction of our newest facility in Brandon, South Dakota.
About Tower Tech Systems Tower Tech Systems Inc.(www.towertechsystems.com), a Broadwind Energy company based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was founded in 2003 and manufactures utility-scale wind towers for wind energy development. Today, Tower Tech is a leading manufacturer of wind towers and specializes in delivering the larger and heavier “next generation” wind towers to our customers.
Tower Tech has strategically located facilities in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Abilene, Texas and third wind tower manufacturing facility currently under construction in Brandon, South Dakota. Tower Tech’s facilities have a combined annual production capacity which supports up to 1,500 megawatts of wind energy production on an annual basis. As of March 31, 2009, Tower Tech had approximately 320 employees and total manufacturing space of approximately 346,000 square feet in its Manitowoc and Abilene facilities.
About Broadwind Energy, Inc.
Naperville, Illinois-based Broadwind Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: BWEN), provides a broad array of integrated supply-chain solutions to the power infrastructure industry, with an emphasis on the wind energy sector. Broadwind’s products and services include wind tower and precision gear manufacturing; heavy steel fabrication; wind facility construction support; wind turbine installation and maintenance; and wind turbine transportation services. Broadwind’s customers include many of the leading wind turbine manufacturers and wind farm owners in North America. Broadwind employs more than 1,000 employees and has over 1,000,000 square feet of production and service center capacity nationwide.
For more information, visit www.broadwindenergy.com.
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Posted by Gordon Smith
on Jun 25 2009. Filed under Green Jobs, Wind Energy Companies.
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