Arkansas Blog: A mighty wind

Two suppliers of goods for the booming wind energy business (booming thanks to significant government subsidies, it's worth noting) announce they will locate in the vacant Levi building on the Pine Bluff Freeway and eventually employ more than 800 at around $15 an hour.

The Little Rock Chamber of Commerce held a press conference to announce that Polymarin Composites, a producer of rotor blades for the wind industry, and Wind Water Technology, will open a manufacturing facility in Little Rock. The companies plan on investing $16 million in the facility and employing a combined 830 people over the next four years. Governor Mike Beebe was on hand, as were Gen. Wesley Clark (who sits on the board of Emergya Wind Technologies, Polymarin’s parent company) and Rep. Vic Snyder. Governor Beebe said he was proud of Gen. Clark’s efforts on behalf of his home state to encourage Polymarin to come to Arkansas. Gen. Clark said that Arkansas was fortunate to be at the center of the wind technology industry.

STATE NEWS RELEASE

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (October 8, 2008) - Polymarin Composites, an international developer and manufacturer of high performance rotor blades for the wind industry and a 100% subsidiary of Emergya Wind Technologies, today announced it will locate a new manufacturing facility in Little Rock. The company will move into the former Levi Building on I-530.

Polymarin will invest $16 million in the facility, and aims to employ 630 people at an average wage of $15.00 an hour within four years.

In addition, Wind Water Technology (WWT), a supplier to EWT, will locate in the same facility. WWT, which builds nacelles for the blades to facilitate movement, will invest $4 million in equipment and will employ 200 people at an average wage of $15.00 within four years.

Together, Polymarin and WWT will employ approximately 830 people.

Emergya Wind Technologies (EWT) is the parent company of Polymarin. EWT was started in the Netherlands in 2004. The company specializes in the development and manufacturing of advanced high-quality direct drive (gearless) wind turbines and delivers wind farms on a full turn-key basis around the world. The company oversees activities in more than 20 countries, including the U.S., China, Turkey and the Netherlands.

"Our new Little Rock facility will enable us to bring our expertise, products and services to North America. We could not be happier with the location and are excited about the resources and personnel that Arkansas has to offer." says CEO of EWT Gerry van der Sluijs.

Gen. Wesley Clark stated "I am happy that my home state of Arkansas exceeded our requirements and expectations during site selection. In addition to the prime location, our North American site will provide us with significant opportunities for EWT, to further expand its gearless DIRECTWIND energy solutions."

"Arkansas is rapidly becoming a center for the wind-energy industry," Governor Mike Beebe said. "Being able to combine new job opportunities with the advancement of sustainable energy is great news both for our economy and our State's future. We welcome Polymarin and WWT to Arkansas and look forward to their success."

"This outstanding announcement is evidence that Little Rock has jumped into the 21st Century with both feet," said Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola. "Providing quality jobs while developing a reputation as a leader in sustainability is why Little Rock is quickly becoming the next great American city in the South."

Polymarin's and Wind Water Technology's concurrent announcements, combined with last year's from LM Glasfiber, have positioned Little Rock and the region as a major player in advanced manufacturing for the wind energy industry," said Elizabeth Small, chairman of the board of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. "The companies' combined $20 million capital investment also puts the region over $1 billion in new capital investment since February of 2005."

Additional information can be found at www.ewtinternational.com or www.wwtcleantech.com.

About Polymarin:

Polymarin Composites (PMC) is an international developer and manufacturer of high performance structural products made of reinforced composite materials.

The company specializes in the design, development, engineering and manufacturing of high performance rotor blades for the wind and tidal turbine industry. PMC targets the market segment for tailored special products developed and supplied in close cooperation with the wind turbine manufacturer.

PMC aims to be a top player among the rotor blade suppliers and to become the preferred partner for companies serving the global wind turbine industry with rotor blade designs that are leading in performance and cost effectiveness.

The development of the PMC rotor blades is concentrated in the Netherlands whereas series blade manufacturing is organized through production partners in various regions worldwide, close to regions where wind energy projects are being established.

The company's headquarters and Center of Competence; dedicated to the marketing, design, engineering and development, prototyping, mould production and certification of rotor blades for the wind and tidal turbine industry, is located in Hoorn, the Netherlands.

Internationally, PMC is establishing a global network of supply capacities. Currently the company has plants in Hoorn and Eemshaven, the Netherlands and new Centers of Capacities are being established in Little Rock, Arkansas and Xinghe, Inner Mongolia China.

Comments

Good news indeed. It's nice to know that Chinese built windmill blades are not cost effective to be shipped to the US.

One curious thing I saw in the PR, a quote from the jefe supremo, strong-mayor Stodola. The location that is referred to, the old Levi-Strauss plant off of 145th street, is many miles south of the city limits of Little Rock.

I wonder what the Wrightsville crowd (Patricia Ward, Barbara Huggins, etc) will do with this news? Will there be a continued conspiracy to prevent Wrightsville from growing (as they believe? See here at http://wrightsvilleplan.blogspot.com) If so, Wrightsville should move to immediately annex this property and make these companies pay hefty fees for permits and such. There is even a few dollars of use tax that could fund some city operations for the tiny town.

Posted by: JStevens | October 8, 2008 02:44 PM

According to the article, General Wesley Clark helped recruit them! He sits on the board of Polymarin.

Posted by: JD | October 8, 2008 03:00 PM

By the way, if any of you Arkansas Times, Stephens Media, DemGaz, or other fine publication reporters are reading this for any ideas on tomorrows article...I'd appreciate if you'd telephone and interview Patricia Ward and Alderman Huggins on this issue. Ward is the Chair of the Planning Commission, as you probably already know. Mayor Smith might have some good words to say, but she's not annexation happy since she knows that costs money (and one smart, sharp thinking lady).

I think Stodola would like to annex his way south to the money (like the plan is to annex the land for the Welspun Pipe plant and the Man Ltd. Pipe Plant), but Wrightsville is closer and can probably beat LR to it.

Posted by: JStevens | October 8, 2008 03:03 PM

I'm glad that we're producing alternative energy in Arkansas so that we can export it to Texas.

This way, not only are we building new COAL plants for Texas, we're also building alternative energy for their wind farms in west Texas. AND we can use these new coal plants to power the construction of the alternative energy.

It all makes so much sense. 49th-ranked-state mentality.

Posted by: JD | October 8, 2008 03:05 PM

John Gray, retired Ford executive and currently mayor of Greenland, has been advocating for
Gov Beebe/Ark to subsidize a wind turbine plant for the last 3 years.

When John was advocating such there was not a turbine manufacture in the States.

And this foreign installation should serve as a stark reminder of what the U.S.A. once was.
Now the only leadership we have offered the World is finance capitalism and Arms sales. 22% of our country
is finance capitalism. Now that's in sharp decline and may possibly never return.

How smart has it been to export our manufacturing base for the past 28 years?

Posted by: eLwood | October 8, 2008 03:17 PM

"the booming wind energy business (booming thanks to significant government subsidies, it's worth noting)"

This is also worth noting: The Arkansas Economic Development Commission estimates that for every dollar of incentives issued to 104 companies last year, the state will gain $3.11 in state tax revenues during the next 10 years. That is higher than the $2.44 return in 2006 and the $2.08 return in 2005. The only year with a higher return was in 2002, when the return was estimated at $3.47 for every $1 of incentives. It's great to see 800 new jobs coming to central Arkansas. Let us not forget that his country lost 159,000 jobs last month.

Posted by: durangokid | October 8, 2008 03:18 PM

How about a prototype wind farm in NLR where the Bass Pro Shop will never be built...great visibility from the interstate where thousands of folks will see their products in action every day.

Posted by: MysteryShopper | October 8, 2008 03:28 PM

Woo hoo! I can see 15 bucks an hour from across the room! There's some money a family in Arkansas can live on! Congratulations.....could it be Arkansas will someday be the windmill blade manufacturing capital of the world? We've sure been a lot of worse things! I'm liking them Chinese more and more!

Posted by: Deathbyinches | October 8, 2008 04:05 PM

Let us not forget that his country lost 159,000 jobs last month.<<

I'm not much of one to tip my hat towards GeoWBush.
However, in all fairness 159K is a gross figure of jobs loss
It does not consider the new jobs produced.

Posted by: eLwood | October 8, 2008 04:19 PM

Excellent news... Hey eLwood.. what link/page should I bookmark to watch this wind-stock over the next few years, por favor?

Now if we can just nix altogether or put a cork in the coal smokestack or figure out how to blow and dump all the toxic coal byproducts in Texas where it belongs.

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | October 8, 2008 05:02 PM

I'm with you, ES. Dump the coal plant and go with wind and solar!

This is excellent news. Hope there is more like this.

Hey, if anyone is paying attention, up here in Harrison there is an old Levi's plant. Bet it would be a great place to build some windmill blades! Well, unless there is a need for railroads to take it away. No railroads in Harrison, for some reason.

Posted by: rablib | October 8, 2008 10:26 PM

Excellent news... Hey eLwood.. what link/page should I bookmark to watch this wind-stock over the next few years, por favor?<<

Definitely a growth industry, akin to the position of Microsoft in 1981/2. I found no public listing.
Maybe ask a broker or spend hours online discovering if they are listed on a Euro exchange.
Their website is "underconstruction."

However keep in mind when this oil bubble pops in about 12-18 months and gasoline and heating oil drop by 50% the windmill investment may not be so valuable.

It will require a government edict to make alternative energy profitable or major tax incentives like they gave to corn, now used for inefficient ethanol production. And the
unexpected consequences of corn subsidies and high prices is higher priced animal feed
and higher priced corn derived foods.

Posted by: eLwood | October 8, 2008 11:27 PM

Arkansas Blog

A mighty wind

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