As far as I can tell, work has not yet begun on the planned Nordex USA North American manufacturing facility here in Jonesboro.
The most recent reference to it on the Nordex web site is in a press release in early March announcing the opening for the German wind turbine manufacturer’s new North American headquarters in Chicago.
You have to read nearly to the end of the press release to find this reference to the Jonesboro plans:
In October of 2008, Nordex announced plans to build a manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The company will invest approximately $100 million in the factory, which will employ more than 700 people in Arkansas and around100 people in Chicago by 2015. It will manufacture every component of a wind turbine except the tower, with a target annual assembly capacity of 750 megawatts. Construction is slated to begin this year, with production planned for 2010.
“Establishing a firm operating and manufacturing presence will enable Nordex to keep better pace with strong demand in the US, which has outstripped our ability to import turbines manufactured abroad fast enough,” said Sigrist. “From Chicago we will be in the capital of the wind industry, and from Jonesboro we will be at a geographic center for product distribution.” Nordex is also gearing up to build a home-grown supply chain in the US.
Has the drop in oil prices since October 2008 sucked the wind out of the wind turbine business? What has to happen to get this project moving?
And do you remember that insensitive question the TV reporter asked the despondent manager of the soon-to-close Circuit City here?
“Well, do you think we’ll get a Best Buy?”
It could happen, even though we’re not on the list of new Best Buy stores recently released.
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