Broadwind Energy, Inc. (OTC: BWEN) announced that its heavy steel fabrication company, R.B.A. Inc., has acquired a second facility that more than doubles the company’s manufacturing space and significantly increases its capacity.
R.B.A., an industrial mechanical contractor in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, provides subcontract machining, fabrication, refurbishing, welding and assembly forseveral industries, including the manufacture of heavy steel components for cranes used in wind facility construction and turbine erection.
R.B.A. currently occupies a 40,000-square-foot heavy steel fabrication facility. The new facility in Clintonville, Wisconsin, comprises approximately 60,000 square feet and covers nearly 20 acres. It previously was used for building special trailer modules for the U.S. military.
"With this expansion, R.B.A. can further improve the service it has been providing the mining and crane-building industries," said Broadwind CEO J.Cameron Drecoll. "Meanwhile, it contributes to the increased efficiency and value that Broadwind is building in terms of complementary and collaborating platforms of companies."
R.B.A. acquired the building so it can meet increasing demand for its fabricating services for current customers. The expansion also will allow R.B.A. to expand its offerings of large steel components and specialty toolsfor customers and other Broadwind Energy platform companies.
R.B.A. has begun hiring employees for the new facility and expects to add approximately 40 people over the next 12 months. The hiring will bring its total workforce to just under 100.In addition to R.B.A., the Clintonville facility will house the corporate offices of Badger Transport, Inc., a heavy-haul trucking company.
Broadwind previously announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Badger. Broadwind expects to complete the acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, during the second quarter of 2008.
About Broadwind Energy, Inc.
Broadwind Energy, Inc. based in Naperville, Illinois, 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 steelfabricator in Manitowoc, Wis.; and Tower Tech Systems, Inc., a wind tower and monopile manufacturer in Manitowoc, Wis.
About R.B.A., Inc.
R.B.A., a Broadwind Energy company founded in 1985, is an industrial mechanical contractor in Manitowoc and Clintonville, Wis. The company provides subcontract machining, fabrication, refurbishing, welding and assembly for a range of industries including the manufacture of cranes for wind facility construction and turbine erection, auto assembly, construction, marine, mining and metals. It also offers complete machinery rebuild, upgrade and refurbishment. R.B.A. currently employs 60 people.
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