German manufacturer Beckmann Volmer recently announced plans to build a $10-million plant in Osceola, Ark., to produce steel components for wind turbines. The company said it will initially hire 300 people to work at the plant, and will later spend an additional $7.5 million more to expand and hire another 200 workers. The turbine parts will be used about 60 miles away at a turbine manufacturing plant being built by Nordex USA Inc., a factory that is to have 100 workers by the end of 2010 and 240 workers when it reaches full production in 2012. Ultimately, the plant could have 700 workers.
Denmark-based LM Wind Power has two plants in Little Rock, Ark., churning out windmill blades.
