Broadwind Energy, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BWEN) announced today that its subsidiary, Tower Tech Systems, will expand its wind tower manufacturing operations to Sioux Falls, S.D. and Abilene, Texas. Tower Tech Systems currently operates a manufacturing facility in Manitowoc, Wis. that has been producing wind towers since 2004.
Broadwind CEO J. Cameron Drecoll said transportation and logistics for tower sections have become increasingly complex and costly to the wind energy marketplace. Broadwind and Tower Tech will provide tower production capabilities close to major wind energy development areas and supply logistical services to project sites. He added that the service bundle will provide benefits to customers that will be unique in the industry, such as reducing risks associated with long-distance transport.
"Our customers will be able to depend on Broadwind to provide a more complete and cost-effective supply-chain solution," Drecoll said. "Our existing Manitowoc facility continues to perform well and will increase tower production capacity, and it will be supplemented by these new facilities in the heart of wind energy markets. This expansion to new regions, combined with our recent acquisition of a transportation and logistics provider to the wind industry, will result in the introduction of significant savings into the marketplace and ensure that we continue to deliver the highest level of quality."
Lars Moller, Broadwind’s chief operating officer, said, "The factories are specially-designed, single-piece-flow production units that capitalize on lean technologies. These greenfield facilities will be the first of their kind in North America specifically built for tower manufacturing, thus allowing for optimum production efficiencies for our customers."
Each facility is expected to initially employ more than 150 workers, with significant expansion options available. Both sites also have direct rail access, ample tower storage and the most modern tower production equipment available in the marketplace. Both plants will begin production by early 2009.
Earlier this week, Broadwind announced that its steel fabrication subsidiary R.B.A. Inc. would double its manufacturing space and significantly increase capacity.
About Broadwind Energy, Inc.
Broadwind Energy, Inc., Naperville, Ill., owns, supports and strategically positions companies that manufacture, install and maintain components for energy and infrastructure-related industries with a primary emphasis on the wind energy sector. The company’s operational platforms include wind tower manufacturing; heavy steel fabrication; wind facility construction, operation and maintenance; precision gear manufacturing; and specialized transportation services. Its platform companies currently include Brad Foote Gear Works, Inc., a precision gearing systems manufacturer in Cicero, Ill.; Energy Maintenance Service (EMS), a wind energy operation and maintenance service provider in Gary, S.D.; R.B.A., Inc., a heavy steel fabricator in Manitowoc, Wis.; and Tower Tech Systems, Inc., a wind tower and monopile manufacturer in Manitowoc, Wis. Broadwind also has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Badger Transport, Inc., a heavy hauler in Clintonville, Wis.
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